The Troubling Imprint
by Furie1
Summary: Eva Harwood wants nothing more than to be alone. When Sam and Emily adopt her she knows nothing good will come from it. And she knows nothing good will come from the boy with plain brown eyes who wants nothing more than to be around her. Eva's got problems from her past. They haunt her in the present. What will come of this troubled and complicated imprint situation?
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One:  
Just Another Place  
Eva Harwood**

My social worker had been speaking non-stop for an hour. I wouldn't be surprised if I had blood coming out of my ears. Currently, she's transporting me to my new foster home. She's probably telling me to "give it a chance" and "try and behave this time". All the things that have been said to me plenty times before. I don't know why they still tried. Every home they took me to was just any other place. Nothing special. I never felt like I belonged. Plus, I was generally left with complete assholes, bitches, and perverts. How would this place be any different?

I guess the only difference would be the small town. The La Push Reservation was preserved for Quileutes. So why was I the exception? All because of Samuel Uley and Emily Young. Supposedly, Samuel was some type of guard for the land. Everybody probably thought he would be able to reform me. He'd be just like all the others. After spending some time with me and my rebel persona he would send me back. That's what happens every time.

I'm assuming we're near the destination since we passed the 'Welcome to La Push' sign twenty minutes ago. And it's not a big residential area. Sure enough we stopped at a house five minutes later. It wasn't very big, but it wasn't tiny either.

The front door opened as I was getting out and out came a petite woman and a very large man. Both had black hair and matching eyes. Samuel's hair was cropped short. Uncommon in these parts. Emily was ecstatic at my arrival. So much so that Sam held onto her shoulders to hold her back. He thought she would scare me by giving me a tackle hug. I wouldn't be scared. Just annoyed. And a little surprised.

When people saw me they tended to stick to looking from afar rather than get to know me. My brown hair had strategically placed streaks of green, purple, blue, and red. My ears held a multitude of earrings. My wardrobe consisted of nothing but dark colored cloths. Makeup was something I didn't make gothic or punk like the rest of me. It was simple black eyeliner and mascara. Not too thick either.

Going to the truck I grabbed my single suitcase while my social worker greeted the happy couple. Other than my clothes the only other thing I had was my phone. It had taken me a while to save up enough money for it. I kept it in pristine condition.

I had no pictures or anything affiliated with friends. Since I didn't have any friends that I hung out with. The only friends I had were online. I know, I know. I shouldn't chat on the internet with people I don't know in chat rooms. But this chat room that I found practically had my name written all over it. One, it was for teenagers like me. Rebels, goths, punks, nerds, emos, and any others deemed different in society. Two, every single one of us had a past. Some type of history or something going on now that was a problem. Problems that made us who we are today. We all connected.

Anyways, back to my current predicament, the social worker finished speaking and told them to call if they needed any information or help.

She drove away. Leaving me with two new burdens in my life. The couple now took the time to introduce themselves to me. They held out their hands and looked expectant for me to do something in return. I didn't. Samuel still held a light smile on his face while he put his hand down. Emily had the nerve to be hurt by my display of rejection. However, another smile was on her face in a second.

They showed me inside the house and told me various things. To be honest I spent most of my time blocking them out. As I did with most foster parents. "Eva, your room is down the hall and to the left. It's the last door." Emily said. She walked into the kitchen saying that she had to get started on the next meal. Samuel asked if I needed anything. I walked towards what would be my room for a little amount of time.

I was so used to this routine that I didn't bother unpacking once I got to my new sleeping space. There was nothing extraordinary about the room. It had a desk, a small bed, and light blue walls. There was also a window. It wasn't very large. But it was large enough to sneak into and out of. Something I'd probably be doing a lot of in the future. Though I frowned when I thought of a new predicament. I wasn't near the city. I would spend miles walking in or near the forest and would probably lose my way if there wasn't a trail. I saw that I wouldn't be able to sneak out without a ride. For the first time I was truly confined somewhere.

Sam - that's what he told me to call him - knocked a few minutes later. Asking if I wanted anything. I actually answered this time. With a shake of my head. He nodded and walked back to the living room. I'm curious as to how a man his size can actually live in this home without breaking it.

Sighing I opened my phone to the chat room and said hello to the few inhabitants.

_Hey, how are you liking your new home? -thenightmarequeen_

_Why would she like her new home? -bookworm_

_You have a point bookworm. So far it's not lookin' so great. I have no means of escape. And, what really annoys the hell out of me, the lady here is ridiculously nice. It's like she's never had a piece of bad news in her life. Bitch. Though the guy isn't a pervert. It's refreshing actually. -insomniac_

_Good for you princess. -sceneking_

_Sceneking_ and I probably had the best relationship. We had been able to meet up once in Seattle. He was actually really sweet to me. Though we spent most of our time being our sarcastic selves and getting into trouble. I always wondered how I was able to share my story with people who I could rarely see. I've never told anyone everything that's ever happened to me. And I won't.

_Anyways, I'll talk to you guys later. I'm going to check around. See what fun things there are to do in this tiny place. -insomniac_

We said our goodbyes and I walked out my bedroom. Emily was still in the kitchen and Sam was watching TV. Why is she doing all the work? Can this man not do anything for himself? Sam noticed me standing in the hall.

"Hey Eva. Just so you know I'm going to be inviting some co-workers over for dinner tonight. They're all excited to meet you. They tend to stay over a lot so don't be surprised if they're over when I'm not." Great. More company. Maybe I'll be able to grab some food at a diner and stay out for the night. Patting my pockets I felt the few dollars I had left.

I started walking to the backdoor. The whole house is surrounded by woods but the main road isn't very far. My hand reached the handle when it was suddenly pulled back. Words escaped before I could stop them.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" I glared at the man who had the audacity to touch me without permission.

"Don't go in the woods by yourself." He was stern. I doubt he was effected by my blatant display of dislike.

I wanted to say more but I walked back to my room. On the way I could see Emily looking at me from the kitchen. It was a look of pity before looking at Sam like she was going to lecture him. Why would she pity me? I didn't ask for that. I've never asked for that. She shouldn't be looking at me that way. She doesn't know me or my story.

Shutting my door my eyes flashed to the window. Without much thought I slowly brought the window up. It didn't utter a noise and I threw myself out while I had the chance. I made sure not to step on any big branches and dead leaves. As long as I didn't make a sound in this mute place I would be fine. Thrill filled me when I made it to the woods without being caught.

That's when I started running. I had to get away. Just to make sure I marked every few trees I passed. So I wouldn't get lost on my way back. This was far from being my first time running away. I wasn't permanently running away. All I needed was time to myself. Mainly so I wouldn't have to deal with a craptastic dinner. Of course I wasn't going to stay and meet more people. All they would be were burdens.

Eventually I came upon the main road and marked where I should enter the forest when I came back. I saw a sign that said I had two miles to go before I got to Sue's Diner. That'll do.

While walking my thoughts drifted back to Sam and Emily. I wondered how long it would take for them to realize that I was gone. I had to admit that my escape was pretty good. They could have super hearing and they wouldn't have been able to hear me as I left. There was an excellent chance I wouldn't be caught missing until the time for dinner. And since this town was practically empty there weren't any cars passing me by. Even as I passed by other homes no one stopped me.

Two miles actually went by pretty fast. Before I knew it the sun was starting to set (I had arrived in the afternoon). Although the sky was grey I was able to tell.

A bell chimed as I walked into the empty diner. There was a middle-aged lady wiping down the counters. I took the last seat at the end. She was eyeing me the whole time but never said anything. Grabbing the menu from the side I looked for the cheapest item. A plain burger.

The woman working came over to me. "Hi, I'm Sue and I'll be your waitress. What would you like to drink? Are you ready to order a meal?"

"I'll have the plain hamburger and a glass of water. Please." See, I had manners . . . sometimes.

"Sure thing." She placed the order with the cook and came back to me. "So, you're Eva. I'm Sue Clearwater. Welcome to La Push." She said with a friendly smile. She stuck her hand out. My face must have held a confused expression because she explained how she knew me. "It's a really small town. And Sam and Emily didn't keep it a secret that they were going to be taking care of a child." Sixteen is still considered a child? Technically I was old enough to have my own place. But I don't have enough money to pull something like that. Hence my current predicament.

Her hand dropped. She didn't look offended though. Instead it seemed expected. "Don't worry. You don't have to warm up to me. I realize it's hard being the new girl here. Especially when you're from a foster home and everyone here can't stop ogling over a new person. . . You kind of remind me of my daughter, Leah. She isn't too fond of people either. Anyways, I'm going to check on your order."

I should've been annoyed. Normally I probably would've snapped and told her to fuck off. But for some reason I couldn't do that to her. She didn't pity me. She didn't fawn over me. She simply stated what was true and how it sucked. Obviously I didn't consider her a friend. All I considered was not being as rude to her as I am to everyone else.

"Here ya go. And don't worry about the bill. It's on the house." I looked up to her sincere expression. She wasn't doing this because she felt bad for me. It was because I was new and it was her way of welcoming me. Again, no pity. It felt great.

"Thank you." I meant it. Sue nodded and walked to a door marked 'Employees Only'. The meal wasn't large but it was enough to fill me up. When I was nearly finished Sue came out and asked if I wanted anything else. I said no.

"Hey, if I'm not mistaken, isn't Sam supposed to be hosting some dinner thing tonight?"

"Yeah." I may have warmed up to her but that didn't mean I was going to talk a lot. I never really did. Unless I was angry or pissed off.

"And he just let you go?" I shrugged. Sue grinned and shook her head. "Well, I'll close early tonight and drive you back. I don't want you walking back since it's so dark. How did you even get here in the first place? It's a long walk." I shrugged again. She told me to wait a minute while she closed everything up.

Outside she had an SUV and unlocked it. I got in without much thought. It was strange to end up here. This morning all I could think about was getting away from everything and never looking back. Like I do every morning. I envision me being on my own. Going to school and figuring out what I want to do with my life. Getting a job. Living my life the way I want to live it. I never really imagined getting married. And I definitely was not going to have children. I've been alone most of my life. Now I'm so used to it I don't want it any other way. My life is easier when I'm alone. It's less complicated. Someone isn't trying to understand me. No one can anyway. The only one who understands me is me.

Sue didn't try and make conversation for the ride back. It seemed she could tell that I wasn't a talker. Instead she turned on the radio and flipped through channels until she found a song she liked. It may have been a long walk but it was a short drive. Soon Sue was parked in the driveway. Sam must've heard the car because he came out right before Sue turned it off. He looked distressed. Through the window I could tell he called out two names but I didn't pay attention to what they were.

When I got outside he came up right in my face. "Why the hell did you leave? You shouldn't have been alone! If you needed to go somewhere you should have told me or Emily. One of us would have taken you where ever you wanted to go. Do you realize how dangerous that was?" By now there were plenty of males standing outside. Looking at all the commotion. They were murmuring things to each other.

Suddenly, anger hit me full force. Who was he to tell me what to do? He had no right! No one did! Only I could control me! I did what I wanted! All my life people have never wanted me and I took control. Took care of myself. Now that someone else is my guardian (probably not for long) they think they can control my every move? They are so, unbelievably incorrect.

"You don't own me." I said in low, cold tone. "I have taken care of myself all my life. That is never going to change. If you think you're going to stop me from doing what I want then you have another thing coming. Now move out of my fucking way." Somehow, everyone heard. They were shocked and frozen. Staring at me as if I had grown another head.

Sam looked shocked too. As if he never expected me to stand up for myself. Unlike Emily, I don't bow down just because a _man _tells me to do something. I'm a major feminist in this society where men still think they hold power over every female being. There was only one person who didn't looked unsettled by my outburst. A female amongst a group of males. She had short hair with a toned build. She was tall too. Looked to be around five foot ten. She looked at me like I should be praised for what I did. Her chin was held high and she was observing me.

I shouldered past Sam and made my way inside. Conversation started up outside, but I didn't listen. Instead I went to my new sleeping room and slammed the window down. I made a mental note to buy some small curtains the next time I went out. Pacing around I heard heavy footsteps coming back in the house. Then, footsteps coming near my door. I sighed and waited for a voice to come from the hall.

"Eva?" Who else Emily? "I'm serving dinner now. If you want to come out and grab some. You don't have to eat with us. Just grab some food." Her voice was small. Like she would be hurt if I didn't. "Anyways, if you do decide to eat with us just know we'll be glad to sit with you. Everyone wants to meet you." How did anyone stand this woman? She was far from strong (mentally). And she always needed approval. She finally left when I didn't give her an answer.

* * *

I planned on spending the rest of the night in my room. But, of course, I still had to do my usual end of the night routine. Use the toilet, shower, brush my teeth, and then lay down. It wasn't very late but I didn't exactly plan on going to sleep instantly. I was going to chat with someone. There was always a couple people on no matter what time of day.

It sounded like everyone was done eating since I no longer heard the clinking of utensils. I still heard the bellows of laughter and loud conversations. I grabbed some night clothes.

Tiptoeing I managed to get out of my room and to the bathroom without running into a single person. Years of practice helped me to be this silent and swift. I started up the shower. Shutting out everyone's babbling and conversing. I was never one to take long showers. I was in there for ten minutes tops before I got out and dried myself.

I changed, removed any remnants of makeup, brushed my colored hair, brushed my teeth, and waited a few more minutes before I made a move to go outside. By now I could tell some people had left. Though most were still here. I settled for looking at myself in the mirror to wait. I was making sure no one planned on coming by. I was also waiting to see if anyone else left.

My reflection never showed a lot of emotion. If anything, it was all in my eyes. But most people never looked there long enough to tell what I was feeling. They were too busy looking at everything else on me and they assumed from there that they knew me. Another glance and I turned to the door. As I opened it it was pushed. Another built man stood in my way. I looked up to glare and push him out of the way. But when I looked up at him I couldn't. There was nothing special about his brown eyes. Somehow, though, I was enraptured.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two:  
The Imprint  
Paul Lahote**

As much as Emily tried I knew she wasn't going to get that girl out of her room. She had made her feelings ver clear. It was a shock to all of us. What she did. No one. And I mean, _no one_, speaks to the Alpha that way. Although, like every other human, she didn't know that he was a leader. But he always had this air around him that made him more intimidating and superior. Someone you knew better than to disrespect.

This girl, Eva, I learned later, was a whole different scenario. Sam and Emily, mainly Emily, had gone on about how they were adopting a girl from a group home in Seattle. They were happy to be taking in someone who needed it.

They hadn't learned much about the girl's past. None of it was in the file they had received. I didn't care to find out much about the girl. Chances are she would leave as soon as possible. But I did want to know what gave her her attitude. Whether it was from life experiences. Or whether it was her acting that way because she wanted to. I was only curious.

An hour later we were all in the living room talking. Cracking jokes. Enjoying ourselves. Emily was a little put off by Eva. She probably expected Eva to be different. However, I knew Emily wouldn't give up. No. Eva was her new project.

Excusing myself to the bathroom I walked to the hall. if I had been paying more attention I would've seen that someone was already occupying it. Turning the knob I found myself being pulled. A female body almost ran into mine. The girl looked up and I couldn't utter a word.

Suddenly, her brown eyes were the only thing keeping me from moving. My heart felt like it was being tugged at. My life wasn't just about me anymore. It was about both of us. She was it. My imprint.

Imprint.

That single word can cause so many things. Heartbreak. Happiness. Fear. Anger. It can cause almost anything really. When a wolf imprints it actually doesn't mean as much as everyone thought it did. It points out that we're soul mates. That the both of us would do well as a pair. But it didn't guarantee love.

Sam had that wrong. Him being the first, and the only to imprint at the time, he didn't completely understand everything. All these emotions coming towards him at once made him think that he was in love with Emily at first sight. Later on he realized his mistake. But it was too late. The damage was already done.

Don't get me wrong, he did love Emily. He would do anything for her. Just like I would Eva. But, everyone knew that he still harbored feelings for Leah. No one spoke about it though.

I knew I didn't love Eva. I didn't know a thing about her.

Now she was a part of my life. Whether we remained platonic friends or something more I would do a lot for her. It was my duty to protect her.

"You going to stand there all night and stare?" Eva's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Her voice was . . . different. Not bad different. It wasn't mousy and weak like some girl's voices. It wasn't high pitched. The tone was perfectly normal. But it had an undertone of no nonsense. This girl had no problem defending herself with words or fists. It surprised me that I could tell all that just from a simple vocalization.

"Dude, seriously. Move out of my way." Irritation seeped through her voice. Now I realized what an idiot I'm making myself out to be. That's not going to help with getting to know her.

"-Er sorry." Was that really all I could get out. Come on Paul, you got a pair of balls. Use 'em. She didn't give me another chance to speak. She speed walked to her room and shut the door. I noticed that she had some clothes in her hand and her hair was damp. She must've just taken a shower.

i also noticed her scent. Or, lack of thereof. To be honest if freaked me out for a second.

Everyone had a scent. Some specific smell that you picked up on them.

With her I didn't smell a thing. Not while she stood in front of me. Not while she walked past me.

She was different.

Her not having a scent just pointed that out more. The personality and attitude she carried around with her wasn't something I was used to.

She was different.

In so many ways. And I had a feeling I would never know all of them. I remembered that the pack was waiting for me. So, I did my business and went back out there as if nothing had happened. I thought I would get away with it. But, apparently, it was written all over my face.

"No way. Paul-bear imprinted." Jared said smugly and surprised. The pack thought that I wouldn't imprint. If anyone wasn't going to it was me. I was the resident bicycle. Pretty damn good at it too. I didn't treat women badly. But I didn't give them a lot of respect either. Though the girls that hung around me were hard to respect.

"I feel bad for Eva." Leah said. The joking environment vanished. It was always kind of that way whenever Leah spoke. She didn't really joke with us. Most of the time she was a sarcastic bitch. No one really wanted to be around her. I didn't hang out with her myself but I never pitied her like everyone else. I told her how it was. Life isn't always fair and she just has to deal with it. She didn't say it but I knew she didn't hate me as much as she did everyone else. It was surprising what Leah said about Eva. Those two hadn't met yet Leah already seemed to like her. Emily obviously wasn't very happy with that.

"Paul, I assume after watching everyone else you know how to approach things with her." Sam said. All Sam ever spoke with was a stern voice. Around us it sounded like he never had any fun. His excuse was being Alpha and having to deal with all of us. We've seen him around Emily though. He's a different person around her. Even around Leah. He's still strict but not as much wit her. This pisses Leah off because she wants to be treated equally. In her mind she probably acts as if her and Sam were never together.

My thoughts drifted to Eva while everyone talked around me. Other wolves who've imprinted say that their imprint is always on their mind. I used to think that they were just being overly-emotional pussies about it. Turns out they were right. No matter who many times I tried I would eventually think of Eva again. Wishing that I had seen more of her rather than just stare into those pretty brown eyes of hers. I'd watched her walk way. But at the same I hadn't watched her. Wither her so few words she had dazzled me. Even if they weren't the most flattering things to be said.

It wasn't long before the guys started leaving. When it was only Leah and I left I asked Sam if I could spend the night on his couch. I didn't want to stay away from Eva, Of course I wasn't going to be near her during the night. All I needed was to be in the same household. The guys who were imprinted said the first day and night was always the hardest. All you wanted to do was be around _her_. The one that was your world.

Sam knew this feeling and threw a pillow at me before he went to his room with Emily. Sleep should've come easy to me. Being a shifter used a lot of energy and often left us drained by the end of the day. But, because today was a special day, I spent a lot of time staring at the ceiling. It had to be near one in the morning when I heard a door open. The sound of soft footsteps padding down the hall and to the kitchen.

I felt a slight tug on my heart and I knew it was Eva. Turning over onto my stomach I peered over the white pillow. Eva was standing in a black tank top and matching yoga pants, getting a glass of water. It took her a few tries but she found the glasses and helped herself to the water.

Unconsciously I had gotten up and walked closer to the kitchen. When my head caught up with my body it was too late. Those brown eyes widened when she caught sight of me. If I had startled her she did an excellent job of hiding it.

Now, while I had the chance, I studied every detail of her and ingrained it into my head. Her natural brown hair had streaks of color in it. All over. No one here had even attempted to do any of that. Something new for everyone to gaze at. I slowly scanned her face next. Her face held no expression. But her eyes flickered around my body. We were studying each other. Back to my gazing I noticed all the ear piercings she had. Each ear had six holes. Most of the earrings were placed differently on each ear. Looking at one of them I wondered how someone got a needle in cartilage that thick. Tattoos weren't noticed on the skin that was visible. Though she could easily be hiding one underneath the clothing. Her body, my usual favorite part of a woman, was next. She wasn't a twig but she didn't look to weigh very much. She was around five foot six. Her rack wasn't that noticeable. Neither was her ass. That didn't matter so much to me know. All I really wanted was to get to know her. Though a romp in the sack with her wouldn't be bad either.

"I don't believe I got to introduce myself earlier pretty girl." Part of my old self was already back. Casual flirting never hurt anyone. Eva didn't do anything. And I mean anything. She stood there looking at me before looking behind me. No one was behind me so I wondered what she would be looking at. I looked back and saw that she could see the pillow on the sofa. Her brain put two and two together. She knew I was staying over. Whether she liked that or not, I didn't know.

"I'm Paul Lahote. Some of the girls here like calling me Paul Lahottie. Feel free to join in on that." Silence encompassed the room again. That voice. I need to hear it again. Eva wouldn't answer. She just stood there looking more irritated by the second. Then, without warning, she moved like a cheetah and tried shoving me out of the way. Me being a wolf and stronger than the average man it moved me a little. I was a little more prepared this time around for it. The nudge hadn't moved me enough for her to get through. My six foot five frame blocked her path.

"You going to say anything sweetheart?" I said in a teasing tone. I was only trying to be light and joyful. Eva, however, didn't see that way.

"Don't call me that." She ground out. Out of nowhere anger had burst out of her. She looked like she wanted to hit me. If she did she would hurt herself more than me.

Raising my hands in a way that said I surrender I tried to apologize, "Sorry, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to call you that. What do you want to be called?" Wow, I'm actually asking a girl what she'd rather go by. I'm changing.

"Nothing. Don't call me at all. Move out of my way. I want to go back to sleep." She obviously wanted to move but knew she couldn't since I blocked every way of escape.

"So eager to go back to dreaming of me. That's sweet babe." Saying that was like playing with fire. Someone was going to be burned. Judging by emotion that flashed across her face I knew who would be burning.

"Yes, I was thinking of you." What? Another quick movement and she was right up against me. Her choice, not mine. Pressing herself into me my lower region grew excited. This is the one time it sucks being a horny teenage boy. Her delicate hands moved over my naked torso. I had removed my shirt when everyone went to sleep. They moved up and down a few times.

Then, her knee went straight into my groin. "Fucking shit." I muttered. No matter how burly and tough you are one kick to the crotch will bring any man down. She dug her nails into my skin and added to the pain.

"When I tell you to move I mean it. Stay out of my fucking way." Her lips were close to my ear as she spoke. I wasn't scared of her. But her tone was scary. This girl made no empty threats. Somehow I knew that if I continued pissing her off I would pay.

Walking down to her room she, again, didn't spare me another glance. It was like she was used to this. Fending off guys that wanted more than she was offering. That made me give a low growl. If someone had ever touched her when she didn't want to be I would track them down.

That was something every imprinted wolf had to watch. Possessiveness. I hardly knew Eva and yet I was already willing to hurt someone for her. Great. I'm sure it'll grow worse over time too. Especially if we got together. I doubted that would happen though. Eva made it clear what I was to her. Some annoying guy who wouldn't leave her alone. Plus, I was a man that got a lot of action. I couldn't just give it up cold turkey. It would take time before I could go a while without sleeping with a girl.

_I wonder how it would be to sleep with Eva_. I thought. Great. Now I'm excited again. Sleep needs to wash over me. And soon. Before I drive myself crazy.

Sleep actually did come soon. I was woken up early though. Emily was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for everyone. As she did every morning. Sam was on patrol this morning until breakfast was served. It wouldn't be for another couple hours. It took a while since Emily had to make zealous amounts of food.

Emily didn't realize I was awake. She never paid a lot of attention to anything in the morning. Except for food. I'm pretty sure that's all she ever focused on since all she did was make food. I creeped silently towards Eva's room. Ok, creeped is the wrong word. I wasn't going to stalk her twenty-four seven. I was just seeing if she was awake.

My hand turned the doorknob mutely. So quietly that she didn't notice her door open a centimeter a minute. She was texting someone on her phone. Whatever they said made her smirk. That was the most expression I'd seen out of her the whole time.

Well, that and when she yelled at Sam. Even then there wasn't really an expression on her face. A little fury but nothing major. When this girl was old she wasn't going to have a single wrinkle on her face from lack of emotion.

I shut the door and walked to the bathroom. I took a quick shower and went back to the main room to look for something to do. I didn't have patrol until tonight. So I had the whole day for me. Of course, I'm sure most of that time is going to be spent on Eva. Either thinking about her or trying to get her to talk to me. Something with her.

I may not have wanted an imprint in the first place, but I was glad Eva was in my life. Maybe she would make it better. I doubt she could make it worse. She didn't seem like that kind of person. Then again, what did I know about her. The little information I had would change today. I would try my damnedest to find out anything I could about her.

Good or bad.

With this thought in mind I asked Emily if she had received any type of file or something on Eva. She went to her room for a few seconds and brought back a manilla folder. I said thanks and opened it up.

There wasn't much about her in here. Just that she had been in a group home for a good portion of her life. There was some police report or something that was supposed to be in the file. But it was gone. Nothing about an incident was there.

Not even a full day of having an imprint and there are already tons of secrets. As long as none of them hurt Eva in any way now I would be ok. But that wouldn't stop me from finding out.

Like I said. I wanted to know everything about her. Speaking of her, Eva just walked into the living room. The look on her face said she knew exactly what file I was holding in my hand. The even scarier look that came across her face soon after was something that I would always remember.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three:  
Personal Things  
Eva Harwood**

My encounter with Paul was not forgotten when I woke up. It was still fresh in my mind. The cocky boy should've left my mind already. It was not like me to dwell on people I disliked. However, the ridiculously muscled man kept finding his way back in. Why couldn't he just leave me alone. Ignore me. Glare at me. Make sure he points out that he wants nothing to do with a girl like me. Life would be so much easier if that's how he reacted. But, no. This is my life. Therefore things must be complicated. Nothing can ever be simple.

As usual, I'm up before the sun is. I've always had trouble sleeping. I can go to sleep when I want to. But I always end up awake before the sun. Thanks to the internet, but no thanks to guardians, I'm fully aware that I have some type of sleep disorder. Do I ask for medication? No. Why? Because that would be asking someone for help.

While I can I get up and grab something small to munch on. Not wanting to be stuck eating breakfast with everyone else. A meal with them will be coming eventually. I'll keep trying my best to avoid it. Luckily for me the couple keeps poptarts here.

Back in my new room I sit in front of my window. Just in time for the sun to rise. I don't know what it is, but there's something about the sunrise that enchants me. Whatever is going on I can forget about it for a few minutes. Sometimes I think about my life. Think about how I'm going to live it one day. My way. Within minutes the sun is coming up and my mind is blank. For those few minutes I get a little peace and quiet before my mind returns to being the clusterfuck that it is.

Later, after the sun had finished rising, I sat on my bed and thought of what I was going to do. I couldn't go to Seattle since I didn't have enough money to get there. I debated what to do for a few more minutes before my door was suddenly pushed open.

Immediately my eyes resorted to the manilla folder in Paul's hands. Without a doubt I knew it was the file the orphanage kept on me. This time I wasn't able to hide my true feelings. I was enraged. I knew Emily and Sam had been given a file on me. But no one else was given the right to look at it. If it was up to me no one would ever see that. It may not contain super personal things but it still covered some things. Once you got past all the homes I've been admitted to and then sent back from.

The glare that enveloped my face was one that had brought plenty men down. I could tell Paul was startled. He looked down at the file as if it was on fire. "What the hell are you doing with that?" I said. My tone was cold, detached, and anything but good.

"I, uh, . . ."

"Is that all you have to say? Pathetic. The least you could do was muster up some fake excuse." I walked over to him. "Give me the damn file. My life is none of your business." With that I slammed the door in his face. Well, I tried slamming the door. His hand shot out just in time. If it hadn't the door literally would have slammed on his face. Too bad it didn't. It would've been nice to do some damage.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to know more about you!"

What idiot researches another person and then walks into that room with all the papers on them? "Why did you come to my room in the first place? I thought I made my feelings for you clear. But apparently, I wasn't clear enough!"

"Hey! What is going on?" Sam yelled above me.

Sam was an efficient distraction. When Paul looked over to him I snatched the manilla folder out of his hands. "Who the hell do you people think you are?! This is my information! Nobody else's! You had no right to give out this kind of stuff about me just because some dumbass is curious!" Clearly, he wasn't used to being yelled at. He was the boss of all his other co-workers. Yelling was his thing. Obviously, he didn't like what I said. Annoyance crossed on his face.

"Okay, you need to calm down young lady. Paul, where did you get those papers from? I never gave those to you." Sam turned his probing to Paul. Now he got why I was so pissed. Since Sam hadn't given the papers to anyone he knew I had every right to be furious. At least there's one thing about me he gets.

"Emily gave them to me." His head went down in submission.

Emily gave him the file? So she's the one my anger needs to be directed to. I started walking down the hall to get to Emily. Sam held me back. This only caused me to fight more.

"Woah, woah. Slow down. Where do you think you're going?" As if he even had to ask. He knew exactly where I wanted to go. I didn't bother answering and instead continued to get past him. Then, I stopped. I wasn't going to waste any more of my energy. Boss man had to leave some time. And when he did, Emily would know exactly how I feel about her.

Thrashing my arms until the came loose of Sam's grip I stomped back to my room like a child. I couldn't wait 'till these people decided to send me back. For once I was actually looking forward to a group home. At least former guardians had some sense of privacy. These people just didn't care. My discretion meant nothing.

When a knock sounded from the door I put my back against it. Someone knocked again and I slammed my back to the door. Telling whoever it was to go away. They seemed to get the message and walked away. I rested the back of my head on the door for a few seconds before walking to my luggage and pulling out some clothes. After dressing I ran to the bathroom. I put my hair up into a ponytail and applied my light makeup.

Back in my room I grabbed what little money I had left and my phone. I prepared myself to be stopped and questioned. It was doubtful that they would let me walk out the front door without giving me trouble.

"Where do you think you're going?" Both men asked when I was an inch away from the door.

They weren't worth my time. They seemed to think they could take away all my freedom. "You're not going out there by yourself. Paul will go with you." Sam said. More like ordered. Paul looked nervous but he didn't argue with Sam. It was as if he wanted to walk with me. Which he did.

I scoffed but said nothing. No amount of arguments or words in general were going to change their minds. I noticed Emily in the corner of my eye. She looked like she was getting a scolding and couldn't handle it. If she thinks getting a simple lecture from someone is bad, wait until she hears from me.

Paul opened the front door and motioned for me to leave first. If he expected a 'thank you' he wasn't getting one. Starting for the woods Paul fell in step next to me. Again, I opted for the scenery I knew. The markings from yesterday were embedded in the trees and I followed them. During the walk Paul had asked me different questions. Like if I made the marks in the trees. Or personal things like my favorite color, movie, music etc. None of his questions were answered and silence enveloped us the rest of the way. By the time we made it out my feet were hurting. Because I was wearing meager Vans and thin socks I had no support on my feet. Walking through the woods with these shoes isn't a good idea. No other shoes were in my luggage though. These are the only pair I have. There is many signs of wear and tear. There were holes and rips in the black shoes.

I still said nothing as we started the way to Sue's Diner. From there I would venture anywhere I could. If I was going to leave on my own time I would need to get to know the area.

"My home isn't too far from here." He said when we eventually arrived at Sue's. "We can stop by and I could drive you around. Where do you want to go." That sounded good. I thought about it. Going to his home would give him the upper hand. I wanted control. But, my feet were going to be so sore by the end of the day I wouldn't be able to do anything tomorrow. It would be no good to me. For my response, I nodded. He took the lead and we walked another half-hour before a little brown home came into view. The reservation was full of little homes.

"Is there any specific place you want to go?" I shook my head and spoke since I had to. "I just want to see the area. I don't like being cooped up all day." One sentence too much. I didn't have to reveal anything about myself. I needed to watch myself when near him.

Paul a had a beat up black truck that looked like it was going to fall apart any second. I made my way inside it while Paul went inside to change and fix himself up a little. He told me I could wait inside his house. I gave him an incredulous look before he realized how much of an idiot he was for offering that. Like I'd ever be in a house alone with him. Speaking of which, I wonder where his parents are. They could be at work. I pushed that out the window when I noticed there was only room for Paul's truck in the driveway. The house itself was small. Smaller than Sam and Emily's if that's possible. This home isn't meant for a family. This home is meant for a single person.

Paul came back out a few minutes later. It was obviously he had fixed himself up and dressed nicer than he normally did. The first time I saw him he was wearing a plain t-shirt and cut-off jean shorts. Now, he had a brown shirt with nice jeans.

Our first stop was a small shopping outlet. No big name stores were here. All of them were privately owned family businesses. Some of the owners lived on the reservation, but most of them lived in Forks or Port Angeles. Paul offered to buy me something. I declined. Knowing that I would owe him something. I would be in debt. I didn't like being in debt. Whether it involved money or favors.

There wasn't much time spent at the shopping center. Paul got the hint that I wasn't much of a shopper. Next, I was taken to First Beach. Obviously, there were more beaches. But Paul said this was the best one. It was quite nice, actually. Before I knew I found myself slipping off my shoes, rolling my pants up, and dipping my feet into the water. The muscular man next to me followed my steps. Man was too strong a word. He was still a boy, from what I'd heard. He had only recently turned seventeen. He told me while we were in his truck that he planned on staying on the reservation for his job. Plus, he seemed to love it here. I couldn't see how. I loved cities. Seattle, preferably. Even if I didn't make that many friends in Seattle it was nice being surrounded by people that didn't know me. That I wouldn't see again. Small towns make me feel claustrophobic, in a way. Everyone knows who you are and where you come from. There's no privacy. I also couldn't see why Paul would want to stay here just for a job. As far as I can tell, he's not completely happy here. He had never outright said that. But it was his undertone. He just didn't realize that he put it out.

Though I hadn't asked, Paul continued on with the one-sided conversation. He had moved onto school. I was glad that I wouldn't have to face it right away since it was only July. At the same time, I was kind of excited since it would be my last year of high school. That reminded me that I needed to start getting some college applications filled out and sent. My number one choice was the University of Washington. Of course, I would be applying to colleges all over Washington.

My grades weren't bad. Despite what most people think. All my classes were the standard courses given to each grade. No Honors or AP. Here, the subject of my classes isn't pleasurable. La Push is a small high school with very little variety. And, I was sure that they weren't as ahead as a city school. Hopefully, it won't interfere with my chances of acceptance.

"Do you want to anytime soon." Paul asked, not unkindly. I shook my head. The beach was nice. It was great for thinking. Another pro was that there weren't many people inhabiting it. I asked Paul why, and he said that the beach was more populated when the weather was warmer. It wasn't very warm here in general. So that meant it was never very popular. I pulled my hoodie sleeves up to cover my hands that were starting to chill. We had sat down in the sand. Both staring in different directions. I at the water. Paul at me.

Could he be anymore obvious? If he wanted a hook-up he could make a move. If that wasn't why he was staring then he'll be slapped in the face if he keeps it up. Hooking-up with a guy and leaving it at that wasn't a problem for me like it was most girls. I never officially dated anyone. And I wasn't a virgin. No one had ever given me a reason to be with them.

My mind drifted off to more personal aspects of my life. Personal things that most, if any, didn't know.

Mainly, what it was like when my parents were still in my life. I remember the days when I woke up as a little kid. Dad had either already left or hadn't returned from the night before. Mom was shooting up some type of drug into her arm. Needles filled the trashcan. Empty beer bottles strewn on the floor. Walking into the kitchen and hoping there was something to eat. The occasional piece of glass finding it's way into my foot after stepping on a broken bottle I never saw. Mom sitting on the sofa. Talking to herself. Dad coming home late at night, if he came home at all.

I was underweight. A scrawny little thing. I hadn't grown much as a child. Since I wasn't getting proper nutrition and vitamins my body couldn't do much.

Removing remnants of glass from my foot with unsterilized tweezers. Putting my foot in grimy water to get it somewhat clean.

Dad yelling at mom. Mom yelling back. The sound of flesh hitting flesh. More yelling. Screaming. Crashing.

Bunches and bunches of memories were coming to me at the speed of light. I suppose because I'd always tried my best to keep them away. Now, they were relentless. Working against me. There was nothing I could do to stop them.

Nothing I could do to stop the memory of _that_ night. The night that changed everything.

That night that resulted in ashes. The night that gave me the scars on my back.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four:  
****Animosity  
Paul Lahote**

Eva was the silent type . . . to say the least. Most of the day was spent with a one-sided conversation. She rarely did the talking. I was worried that she would get annoyed with me and yell at me to shut up. I didn't even get that out of her. It was nice when she had her input on things. At least I could find some way to get along with her. After all, she's my imprint, and if I wasn't going to date her then I was at least going to be her friend. Whether she liked it or not.

Currently, we're at the beach. Sitting in the sand. She's busy looking at the water. While I'm busy gazing at her. I gotta say that she's not bad looking. She doesn't have the obvious beauty. The one that anyone can see from across the room. But after you look at her for a little while you notice things. Like her pink lips that always looked to be soft. Never chapped. Her brown eyes went perfectly with her brown hair. Although most would consider that plain I thought it suited her. She's not a complete paleface. While she is white she isn't as pale as snow. The colors in her hair and earrings still hadn't grown on me. I've never been one for the whole 'fuck society' thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm rebellious. I just don't see the need for someone to do all that to their body. Speaking of her body, it was slender. Not skinny, but slender.

If she noticed my gaze on her she didn't say anything about it. She was lost in thought. It was hard to tell, most humans wouldn't have seen it, but her eyebrows dipped ever so slightly. And I'm talking slightly. Barely noticeable to a wolf. Unnoticeable to a human. The dip of her brows meant a frown. Whatever she was thinking of made her far from happy. Not that anyone would be able to tell. She never spoke of her past. Never talking about all the homes she been to. The trouble she's gotten in. She wasn't a school badass. She was the badass that would kick anyone's ass if they did anything to her. Bothered her. Pissed her off. She's gotten in more fights than I can remember. That, I don't mind. I've been in plenty of fights myself. I understand the need to exert anger physically. Though I'd never assaulted someone to the point of being arrested. She on the other hand, had.

Unfortunately for her, the system did not, as I'd learned from her file. She's been suspended and expelled and it does nothing to change her attitude. With me, I tried toning it down when I got suspended. I may not be going to some nice university but that doesn't mean I want a bunch of crap things on my transcript. Eva didn't care. She punched and kicked as many people as she wanted to without a care in the world. The only thing that made up for it was her grades. At her last school she had a 4.0 GPA. All her classes were standard. But that didn't mean she was dumb. I'm sure that if she cared more she'd be in a bunch of advanced classes. Then, head off to some fancy-pants university in a rich neighborhood.

With the imprint she could still go wherever she wanted. But, if she were to leave and go somewhere far away from Forks we would both be in pain. It would start with the heart. The pain was manageable but got annoying after awhile. No Advil or any pain medications could do anything to help. Once a wolf found their supposed soul mate they were supposed to be as near as possible. I reminded myself to ask her where she was going to be applying to at the beginning of the school year. Hopefully somewhere in Washington.

It surprised me that I was perfectly content sitting here watching her. While she was lost in her mind. Normally, I'd be swimming or cliff diving. I don't hang out at the beach just to hang out. I always have something to do. But I'm different with Eva. I don't always feel this inexplicable need to be a jackass. I actually care about hurting or not hurting her feelings. I won't date her though. A few factors were the cause of my decision. One, because she doesn't care to hold a conversation. How can you be in a relationship without speech? Two, I wasn't a fan of the displays in her hair and ears. Thirdly, because I purely wasn't attracted to her. Nothing against her. I just didn't feel that way about her. All I felt was to be her friend and make sure nothing bad happens to her. Regardless if you're actually dating your imprint or not, it still hurts when she's hurt. Physically or emotionally. Depending on how bad it is we won't feel too much pain. Most of the pain comes from seeing your imprint hurt. After all, she is technically your other half. It's like getting yourself hurt.

As nice as the scenery was I found myself growing bored. It's not my fault I have the attention span of a squirrel. I almost stopped myself from asking Eva when she wanted to leave. She wasn't frowning anymore. But when I saw her eyes they held torment in them. Years of it. Suddenly I didn't want to intrude on her moment. I wanted her to feel whatever she wanted to feel. At the same time I didn't want her feeling like that. I didn't want to see her with anguish. Finally, I sided with interrupting her. She had all night to think those things. Alone. Plus, I had to get ready for patrol soon. I was supposed to be on patrol earlier, but Sam made me go with Eva everywhere. Made is too strong a word. I willingly agreed to go without much of a fight. I wanted to get to know her. At least some thing about her. Knowing one thing is better than knowing nothing.

"Eva?" I said softly. Not wanting to startle her from her thoughts. She didn't appear annoyed or jumpy by my interruption. I took it as a sign that she was okay. "You ready to go?" She nodded and got up. Once her feet dried she put her shoes back on. I followed suit. The ride back to Sam's wasn't filled with awkward silence. Just silence. When we arrived at Sam's I told her thanks for letting me show her around. She said and did nothing when I gave my statement. After a moment she got out and walked into the house. No one on the reservation bothered locking their doors. We didn't have anything to worry about. Anything human anyway. There was the occasional bloodsucking nomad that came into our territory. We always gave them the option to leave peacefully. But, most of the time, the leech or leeches wouldn't back down and we would shred them. Vampires tend to have too much pride. Large egos that prevent them from saving themselves. Bad for them. Great for the wolves.

I drove back home to relax before I had to go to work. I didn't have to worry about an actual job. The house and truck were already paid off. Courtesy of my parents. Before they left. They didn't want any problems from me. They didn't want me calling them up at any time to ask for money. Or anything. So, when they could they paid off everything. I didn't owe a dime to anyone. Therefore, the only thing I had to worry about was food, clothing, school, and leeches. In order to make some money I would generally get a part-time job during school. Summertime was my break time. From everything. Except my duty to the reservation. I didn't consider it much of a job. It was a necessity to keep our people safe. It had its perks and downfalls. Perk: I never had to worry about building muscle. Downfall: imprinting. Without it I wouldn't have to worry about Eva. But, then again, without it I wouldn't have met her. I was torn.

Back at home I lounged on the couch and flipped through TV channels. Wishing that I had Eva's file with me. I was sure that there was more to find. Maybe a little clue on what got her into the system in the first place. It said that she had been registered first when she was eight years old. Whether her parents died or left her I would have to find out from her. Something tells me I'll be waiting a long time for that information. She could be such a hassle. Why couldn't she just be open with her feelings? Why did she have to shut people out? All we wanted to do was help her. And she was being frustrating. But, I could also see things from her point of view. To her, we were just a new family that was trying to break the protective barriers around her. To her, we were just nosy people that wanted to know all about her without her knowing a lot about us. As irritating as it was I could see why she wasn't always open with us.

When she was open she was kind of scary. Like this morning when she found out that I had her file. Her getting angry was my fault. I felt a need to see her and I could've at least hid the file. Instead I walk around with it in the open. Then, she hears that it was given to me by Emily. Ever since yesterday I knew without a doubt that she wasn't fond of Emily. Truthfully, I was waiting for the day she yell, scream, or even hit Emily. The Alpha's fiancé could be annoying at times. Mainly because she tried helping everyone no matter what the cost. With Eva it's like she doesn't understand what it means to back off. Normally, Emily would have gone a little easier on Eva. I don't know why she wasn't this time. Maybe because she knew what happened to her and thought she could do something about it. News flash: Eva isn't going to warm up to us anytime soon. If at all.

Soon patrol time came and I phased. Embry phased a second later. With the a redheaded leech on the loose we were ordered to patrol in pairs of two now. We didn't know what she wanted. It's like she was looking for something specific. Then, she would make us chase her. Normally it doesn't take us this long to get a bloodsucker. But she keeps crossing over to the Cullen territory and then back to ours. It's like she wants us to fight them. Again, my thoughts went back to Eva. Eva needs to stay out of the woods by herself. My heart practically leapt out of my chest when I found out that she had walked somewhere all by herself. Who knew what would've happened if she ran into some dumbass from school. If I wasn't already a wolf I would've phased from my last thought. I tried shaking the anger away. Eva wasn't a wimp. She could handle herself if need be. But that didn't quell the multitude of fears I held for something happening to her.

I'm sure I annoyed Embry all throughout patrol. But he was kind enough not to say anything about it. All he kept saying was that I was lucky to have an imprint. If he had one he said he would date her in a heartbeat. Regardless of her looks. Embry clearly had lower standards than I did. Even though he hadn't met Eva he still thought she wasn't terrible. I didn't think she was terrible either. Though Embry thought I was being an asshole for some of the things I thought about her. At the end of patrol he said he was going to Sam and Emily's. Hoping to meet Emily. Sometimes I thought Embry was more sociable than Seth. That's something hard to accomplish since Seth's practically the fucking welcoming committee. Embry said I should join him. See if I could talk to Eva. A part of me was yearning to see her again.

We phased outside of their home and changed into a pair of shorts. Walking inside I immediately saw that Eva was in the backyard. At least she wasn't in the woods. She was sitting near them though. I could faintly hear a song playing. With ninja-like stealth I slipped outside without her noticing. The wind brushed past her. Still, it brought no scent to me. Abnormal. I should check the legends about that. See if they say anything about it. The song she was playing was _21 Guns_ by Greenday. I myself was an avid fan of the band. I saw the lyrics popping up on her phone since she was using Youtube. As I approached her I made no sound. Leaves didn't even crunch under me. So, color me shocked, when she turns around and says, "You just going to stare all day? Or do you actually have a purpose for bothering me?" I wasn't completely put off since she wasn't glaring. Though her tone wasn't exactly friendly. One benefit was me being shirtless. Her gaze caught on my abs before shooting back away.

"I was thinking of staring at you for a while. At least before sittin' down next to you. Do you mind?" Not that I was actually waiting for her answer. I moved near her.

"Yes." She did mind.

"Too bad." I expected some snarky comment back. But, as usual, she didn't respond. Due to Embry joining us outside I couldn't say anything else.

"Hey guys." Didn't even ask if he was interrupting anything. I'm sure he knew he was. "Hi, Eva." Now he stood in front of her. "I'm Embry. Welcome to La Push." As if she hadn't heard that enough. I smirked at him when she didn't do anything. She switched her attention to her phone. Looking for another song to play. "Are you liking it so far?"

She started playing some metal song I hadn't heard. Both Embry and I stayed quiet as to be able to understand the words of the fast-paced song. Some lyrics caught out attention when she looked right at Embry as they were said.

_Strapped with rage got no patience for victims  
__Sick and tired of the whole fucking world._

Her gaze held. No blinking. No looking away. Her eyes clinging to Embry's throughout that verse. He took that sign as 'back the hell off.' So did I even though she wasn't looking at me. We all stayed quiet through the song. She was staring at nature. She did that a lot. She liked nature scenes. The next song she put on was something a little less hateful and heavy. Though it, again, wasn't very friendly.

Embry left not long after. The whole time he was sitting here he looked awkward. Like he had absolutely no idea what to do. I felt the same way every other minute. "Eva?" No answer. "You want to get dinner with me tonight?" Not a date. More just a get-together. Hopefully we could get to know each other better.

"I know you probably don't want to go with me. But I was hoping to find out more about you. With your permission this time. You can ask any question about me. I can ask you any question and if you don't want to answer it then you don't have to. At least consider it." I got up and started walking away.

"Fine." She spoke right as I was about to open the back door. "But if you piss me off too much I'm leaving early. And I'll help pay."

"I got the bill. Don't worry about it."

"I'm paying some of it. I dislike owing someone something." Stopping her music she got up and walked to where I was standing at the back door. Her hands made the shooing motion to get out of her way. I did and she went back to her room. Sparing a glare at Emily who was standing near.

Emily flinched away as if it hurt to be looked at that way. It probably did. The slightest animosity hurt her feelings. She was known for crying. Though most of the pack preferred her over Leah I actually preferred the opposite. Maybe I should invite Leah to dinner tonight. She seemed to like Eva when she first saw her. It might also help Eva to have another female there.

Leah answered when I called and agreed to the dinner. No sane wolf would turn down a free meal. Also, she wanted to formally meet Eva. The girl that stood right up to the Alpha. The chances were good that Eva and Leah would get along. Both didn't take crap from anyone. Both had attitudes.

But, most importantly, both had been scorned. That was something to bond over. Mutual dislike of a person or people. Then again, neither liked openly admitting anything. Neither wanted to revel in their pain.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five:  
Comprehensive Days  
Eva Harwood**

Why had I said yes? Why had I agreed to go to dinner with this boy? I kept repeating those questions as I walked back to my room. What was I going to do? I was to be stuck with him for at least an hour. At least I could leave when I wanted. Though that wouldn't get him off my back completely. Plus, I wanted a free meal. Even if I did owe him in the end. I've gone too long without eating a proper meal. I won't eat Emily's food because I refuse to sit with her more than a few minutes. The same goes for Sam. So, I've been sneaking snacks and whatnot when I could. Already I could feel myself getting thinner thanks to my rapid metabolism and low calorie intake. Not that I needed to loose weight.

Before dinner, my time was passed by chatting with my internet friends. They wanted to know when I could head back up to Seattle to see them. I'd only met up with one but we had been able to send our picture out to them. The others sent their pictures too in case we ever ran into each other. The whole time my stomach growled profusely.

Dinnertime came all too quickly. In no time Paul was knocking on my bedroom door telling me we could go as soon as I was ready. I put on my shoes and re-did my ponytail before exiting. I hadn't bothered to change my outfit. Outside Leah was waiting in Paul's truck. She was coming with us. I actually didn't mind her coming as long as she wasn't like Emily. Paul told me earlier that they were cousins. He also told me that they were very different. Hopefully that was true.

Leah didn't speak much in the truck. Neither did I. Paul seemed a bit uncomfortable with the silence. He probably expected Leah and I to talk.

The drive took longer than expected because Paul took us to the edge of La Push. The was a restaurant at the very border of La Push and Forks. This place looked like it actually had decent food. Inside it was busy but we were still able to get a booth quickly. While we were waiting to order Leah started speaking.

"So, what's it like living with Sam and Emily? Hell? Or worse?" I liked her already.

"Worse. Is Emily always such a crybaby?" That's how we grew closer. Discussing people we felt like punching in the face. Nicely enough Paul sat without commentary. He let us talk and watched us go back and forth. His eyes widened slightly when Leah got a small laugh out of me. Clearly he wasn't expecting that much out of me.

For food I didn't order too much. Unlike Paul and Leah. They might as well have ordered the whole menu. I stared in shock and a little horror as they consumed every bite of what they ordered. They didn't even seem to be full after everything was gone. Here I was full after a full plate of food. Stuffed to the brim while they ordered desert. Where did they get all the money to pay for this?

I offered to pay for part of the bill with money I had recently received. By recently received I mean stole from Emily. She left her purse out and I saw an opportunity. Think of it as a way of getting back at her for what she did. Did I feel bad? No. Should I feel bad? Probably.

As we were leaving I looked over to Forks. A Volvo rushed past at at least eighty miles per hour. In the rain! How hadn't he ended up lying in the street?

The way back was more cheerful than the last time. Leah was telling me stories of things she's pulled with Sam and Emily. Then, I asked why she had something against them. Not a dangerous question. I just wanted to know her reasoning for disliking them. That, apparently, wasn't the right question. She stopped talking for a moment and stared out the window. Paul stared intently at her for some reason.

"Sam and I have known each other our whole lives." She started abruptly. "We finally got together my freshmen year of high school and his sophomore year. When I graduated he proposed to me. I said yes. We were planning for the wedding when Emily came down to visit. She may be my cousin but we were closer than sisters. I was closer to her than I was my brother. Anyways, when she came down Sam . . . something happened and suddenly Sam was dumping me for her. She didn't even bother to wait that long. She was _so_ happy to meet someone." That's where she stopped. The whole time she didn't sound sad over what happened. She was bitter. Through and through.

"Well, you're better than they are. At least you don't cry about it." That's about as comforting as I got. I've never had to comfort someone before, nor had I cared to. This was the best I could do. And it was good enough for Leah. She looked over and our eyes locked. Understanding passed through us and we said nothing else about it. It was clear that it wasn't something you brought up whenever you wanted to.

Paul dropped Leah off at her place and drove us back to Sam's. "Did you enjoy dinner?" He asked.

"No that's why I was laughing the whole time." He just chuckled and brushed it off. "Why did you bring her with us?" He was caught off-gaurd.

"I thought you liked her."

"I do. But you didn't know if I would beforehand. You brought her because you didn't know how to be around me that long in that environment. You didn't know what you would say or how I would react. You want to find out more about me but don't know how to approach the matter. Don't take me as a stupid girl Paul. I may not speak much but I'm well aware of what is going on around me. My mother once told me that it was ok not to stand out. To be the girl that blended in with the shadows. But she also said that I shouldn't let my mind idle. She taught me to observe everything whether it involved me or not. I know more than you think I do. So don't try and pull something on me. It won't turn out good in the end." That may be the longest speech I've ever made.

It is true that my mother told me those things. It was a one of the few days when she hadn't shot anything into her bloodstream. We spent that whole day together. That was the type of day that rarely came by. I cherished them and dreaded them at the same time. Cherished them because I was surrounded by yelling or by crazy muttering. Dreaded them because I knew that whatever she said she would do wasn't accountable. The next day she'd be right back where she was before. A part of me hates her. Hates both my parents for the things they did. My life is fucked up because of their actions. _I'm fucked up_.

Paul had nothing to say to me. Which was good since I wouldn't have responded anyway. Obviously he was breaking down every bit of new information he'd learned from me. It wasn't much. Considering I hadn't mentioned a lot about me before this was like a treat for him. Once we were back at my momentary home I got out and shut the door. He did the same and we walked inside the house together.

Sam and Emily were cuddled up on the couch watching TV. "Hey you two. How'd it go?" She asked. I stood there awkwardly. All I wanted to do was say a quick 'thank you' to Paul and leave to my room. Though I didn't want an audience. But, since I had no other option, I muttered, "Thanks." to Paul. Although he'd kind of pissed me off in the end it was still nice of him to pay for a meal.

"It was no problem. We can do it again sometime." I said nothing since I didn't plan on doing this again. I wasn't going to get close to someone since I'd just be sent back in the end. Paul wasn't as bad as I hoped he would be. I was hoping that he would be hard to get along with. It'd be easier to ignore him or say rude things to him. The latter I do anyway, but it's harder when someone doesn't mind your presence for once. Not to mention he's not too bad on the eyes.

I went back to my room to chat with my real friends. Well, as real as internet friends could get. Online I told them about my meal out and what we talked about. They all agreed with me when I said that Emily was a bitch for what she did to Leah. They were a little surprised when I told them about what I told Paul. I was surprised at myself too. It was odd that I was comfortable sharing information about myself with people that I knew by screen name but not with people that I could physically talk to. Though, they felt the same way. At least I wasn't alone on that. After hours of chatting we all started logging off when we saw that it was midnight. I performed my nightly routine and went to sleep.

The next morning I woke up early as usual and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Paul, apparently, had slept over again. His soft snores were reverberating through the living room. In the kitchen I grabbed another package of poptarts and ate them in the backyard. I decided today I'd go exploring through the forest. Maybe I'd find a nice meadow to sit in instead of my room all day. I was going a little stir-crazy staring at the same plain walls. The window with a view was taunting me.

Changing for the day I put on a long sleeve and my favorite zip-up black hoodie. Today was especially cold, and the forest was always a few degrees cooler than everywhere else. I was in the middle of putting on my shoes when I heard the rain start poring down. Great. Hopefully there was a spare umbrella or something around the house.

It turns out there wasn't an umbrella. But the rain was no longer pouring after a half-hour of searching. It was more of a drizzle now. That I could handle. It was almost seven o'clock and the house seemed to be sleeping still. Judging from the past day they'd be awake soon. With that thought in mind I raced out of the house before anyone could stop me.

The cool air felt great on my skin. I made my way into the forest and pulled my hood up. The rain wasn't very hard, but I just like having my hood up. I felt more hidden from the world. More to myself. As I made my way through the forest I marked the trees with a simple pattern. I hadn't been walking long when I heard the distinct howl of a wolf. I froze in my place.

I'd never been one to overly fear nature and its' inhabitants. But that didn't mean I wasn't at least a little afraid. The wolf gave another short howl that sounded closer than it did before. I turned around thinking that I could head back and not run into it. That's when a massive silver wolf came out of the shrubbery in front of me. When I say massive I mean _massive_. This was no ordinary wolf. No ordinary wolf was taller than an average sized female. My path was completely blocked.

I didn't try and run. I've learned from reading that you don't run instantly unless you want them to attack because they see you as a threat. You're supposed to be calm and not startle, scare, or threaten the animal. Regardless of the fact that I was scared shitless I didn't show. I tried to keep myself looking stoic. One thing I will admit is the fact that this ferocious animal is beautiful and rare. I'd never heard of a wolf being silver.

The silver wolf's ears bowed down along with its' head. My eyebrows went down in confusion. Why was it submitting to me? Wasn't it supposed to attack? It came forward slowly on its' paws until it was standing right in front of me. It lowered its' head down more and nudged me a little.

Slowly I lifted my hand up and brushed my fingers through the fur on the wolf's head. He/She gave a small purr of content and scooted closer to me. "Fuckin' weird ass wolf." I muttered. Why type of wolf that's at least six feet tall on all fours lets a human pet them? The wolf in question must have heard me because he/she made a noise that strangely sounded like a laugh. You know, if wolves could laugh.

Minutes later the wolf was lying next to me and as I sat down and stroked it. Drops of water started splattering around me and on me and I hastily got up. For some reason I felt compelled to say goodbye to the wolf. So that's what I did. I kneeled down next to it, stroked it softly, and said, "I don't know if I'll find you again but I hope I do." I whispered. Then, I ran back the way I came. By the time I made it back I was drenched. My shoes that already had holes all around had become soggy and had also started forming another hole. Lovely.

I walked in without taking off anything. It's not like I actually cared if I got their things wet. Sam and Emily were sitting at the dinning room table and their eyes widened when they saw me. "You're tracking mud and water all over the floor." Sam said at the same time Emily said, "You must be freezing! Hurry and change out of those clothes! I can make some hot chocolate if that'll help warm you up." As if a drink would solve all my problems.

After stripping and drying myself I changed into the pair of sweats that I had and another long sleeve shirt. Opening my window I held my clothes outside and rung them out. I was thinking back to what Emily and Sam had said when I realized that I hadn't seen Paul when I entered the house. I remember seeing his truck in the driveway but I don't remember seeing him anywhere in the house. Where could he have gone?

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Paul was sauntering up the driveway. From the looks of it he was coming from the forest. When had he gone there? He'd entered in the exact spot I had. He had to have seen all the markings I made. And he had to have run into me at some point? Right? So why hadn't I seen or heard him at all?

Maybe he'd seen me with the wolf. But, if he had, he would've acted like any other sane person and warned me to get away from the wild beast. Was he spying on me? I know he wanted to know more about me. He wanted to get closer to me. That much was obvious even to a blind man.

Sam and Emily had seemed awfully reassured when I came in. Not when they realized I was wet but the seconds before that. They looked like they didn't have a thing to worry about. They knew both Paul and I were gone yet they hadn't done a thing. Everything was fine to them. Clearly, they knew something I didn't. Something everyone but me knew. No one reacts the way those to did to what happened.

The three of them were speaking in low voices. I could tell from my room. But, much to my demise, I couldn't tell what they were saying. And, somehow, I knew that if I opened my door they'd be able to hear and would stop their discussion. That's something I'd noticed in the short time I've been here. Sam and Paul seemed to have excellent hearing. Better than anyone I'd ever met.

Finally, there voices grew higher. With a sigh I realized that meant that they were done with the important stuff and had moved on to meaningless things. My thoughts drifted back to that wolf.

The wolf was silver like a bullet and had brown eyes. A very, very uncommon combination. In fact, I'd never heard of it. Everyone has heard of a grey wolf. But not a silver one. And a wolf taller than a human had never been reported.

Finding out the truth -about everything- was now my top priority. I've had to dig around for secrets before. Sleuthing around isn't something I'm not accommodated with. And, as I did before, I knew that finding out the truth wasn't always a good thing. Learning someone's secrets had cost me before.

It cost me too much.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six:  
****Stupid Questions  
****Paul Lahote**

It turns out that Leah and Eva are getting along better than I imagined they would. This morning I came to Sam's house early since I figured out that Eva is an early bird. I figured we could find something to do again. I also kept in mind that I'd have to lecture her on keeping away from the woods. Vampires could pop up within seconds and I don't want her in any danger, obviously. It was nice to see that she wasn't afraid of me in wolf form. Though she didn't know it was me. I thought for sure she was going to make a run for it. But no, she pet me like a dog. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't enjoy because I certainly did. When the guys and me are in wolf form we, in a way, are like dogs. We like being pet and rubbed and scratched. So, when she was petting me yesterday it was like heaven. Not only because I was being given attention but because I was getting attention from my imprint.

Anyways, when I got there Leah was already in her room hanging out with Eva. Eva had clearly only had time to wake up since she was still in her pajamas and hadn't gotten ready for the day. Normally she had her hair brushed and a little makeup on. I was relieved that she didn't cake it on, like some girls did. But I think she'd look better without it. She's one of those people that has natural beauty. If she would only smile a little more and take out those ear monstrosities.

Leah looked up just as I got to Eva's room and raised an eyebrow. I was not wanted, was what she was saying silently. I waved her out of the room and Eva finally looked at me. Her gaze lingered on my muscular arms, but I didn't say anything about it even though I wanted to. Now was not the time for smart-ass comments. Knowing her she'd probably say something snarky back.

"What do you want?" Leah said once we were in the living room. Emily was in the kitchen but we weren't speaking loud enough for her to hear and Sam was on patrol so we were clear to talk where we wanted.

"Why are you here?" Leah being Leah smirked and looked at her fingernails. Taking her sweet time answering. "Why does it matter to you? Is someone jealous that their imprint likes me better? Would you rather be in my place? Sitting on her bed with her and having an actual conversation instead of ignoring me?" Damn bitch. The next time we were both phased she was going to get it.

"I wanted to spend some time with her today. And you're getting in the way of everything." This time she scoffed.

"Please, I'm doing you a favor. I could bad-mouth you or I could make you sound like an okay guy. When she's with you she barely talks. With me she's more comfortable and is a little more talkative. Though in reality she's just a really quiet person. So, get used to it and get over it." With that she walked back to Eva's room. I heard her tell Eva that I was just "being a dumbass."

With nothing else to do I went to the kitchen to see what Emily was making. Emily could be whiny and annoying but she was one hell of a cook. Probably because she spent every waking minute in here. I truly wondered if she did that because that was the only thing she could do. "Morning, Paul. Here, you can be the taste tester. Tell me how this is." She gave me a small bite of some type of croissant thingy. Of course, it was amazing. I told her that and she smiled. "Do you plan on doing anything with Eva today?"

My scowl came back. "Well, I was going to, but Leah kind of jumped in and took that from me." She fixed a sympathetic look on her face. Whether it was the mention of my plans being taken or Leah being here that caused it I don't know. That's when Leah decided to make another appearance.

"Eva's getting ready right now, but once she's done do you want to come with us?" Leah made a big show of acting like this was so troublesome. But we both knew the truth. We were actually pretty decent friends. We didn't sympathize or pity one another. We both had problems and ranted to each other when we needed to.

"Where are you going?"

"First Beach. She really likes it there so I figured we could go. The water's pretty calm today from what I saw this morning. We just need to stop by my place and grab swimsuits. I have plenty for her to borrow."

"Alright, I'll run over to my place and grab my swim trunks." Usually, when I went to First Beach I cliff dived. Swimming in the water would be something I hadn't done in a long time. Sure, I cliff dived but I got out right after I did. Usually I didn't have time to linger and take a relaxing swim.

Quickly I ran back in wolf form to my place to grab my swimming shorts and ran back to Sam's in little time. Eva and Leah were sitting on the couch waiting for me. "It's about time." Leah muttered as she got up and walked past me. I waited for Eva to walk past me to let her exit first. "You're coming with?" She stopped next to me and asked. "Yeah." Did she have a problem with me coming? If she did she didn't show it and walked ahead to my truck.

I drove Leah to her house and she and Eva walked in to change. I'll admit I was a little concerned when Leah walked out with a slight smirk. "You'll thank me later." She said lowly to me when Eva was getting in. "Oh, and don't stare." She said more seriously. Now I was definitely concerned.

First Beach was as good-looking as it always was. The water was calm and, as usual, there weren't many people around. Right as I got out I stripped to my swim trunks on one side while the girls got down to their suits on the other.

From the front Eva looked great. Better than great, actually. For a second I had to turn away so my mind wouldn't start wandering. Then, she turned around to walk away. She looked good from behind too. But then, I caught sight of the scars that marked her lower back. Looking closely I saw she had some higher up on her back but had healed over time. Leah punched my bicep to get me out of my trance. I hadn't realized I was standing there staring like an utter moron. "Snap out of it dumbass. Didn't I tell you not to stare?" I scowled at her usual nickname for me.

Eva was already knee-deep in the water when I reached her. Standing beside her I admired the view of both her and the water. "You going to stare all day?" She snapped.

"Did I piss you off early this morning or is it just that bad of a day?" I couldn't recall doing anything to her. I'd made little interaction with her. All because of Leah.

"I don't see why you need to stare at me all the time. I see you doing it when you think I'm not looking." Had I really been that obvious? "If you have something to say then say it. Don't be such a fucking coward and a creeper. It's getting on my nerves." That spiel must have been built up for a long time because she looked less tense right after everything was said.

I shouldn't have egged her on. After all she had only just calmed down. But I had to say something snarky in return as to not make myself look like a curious guy with a crush who won't do anything about it. "Well, babe, you're not bad on the eyes. Especially in that. Black actually suits you. I don't mind staring at you day and night." My tone was cocky. Like I knew I was getting on her nerves and wanted to. She looked ready to say something in return when she shut her eyes. For a few seconds she took in deep breaths and then reopened her eyes. Anger was evident in them, but she said nothing. Opting for the silent treatment instead. No matter who, or what, you are the silent treatment is the best way to make someone feel bad. Even the most unemotional person will feel a small tinge of remorse. At least, that's what I think. I've never actually given someone the silent treatment. When I'm mad I always voice my thoughts and opinions. I'm actually a very emotional person. What I mean by that is that I always feel strongly about something. When I express something I have to make it as clear as day. The opposite of what Eva does.

"Come on Eva. Let's swim a little. The water's awesome today." Leah interrupted. Eva walked further into the water until she had to keep herself afloat. I joined too, after a moment. Swimming was relaxing and comforting. There was something about the water that was always able to soothe me. Leah swam farther out without Eva. Eva didn't seem to like going out very far. I, of course, was curious and asked her why. I thought she was going to continue with the silent treatment or say something bitchy, but she told me that she couldn't swim that well and didn't want to risk going out too far. That gave me an idea. I told her to stay on my back and I would take her out. She declined at first. But after much persistence on my part she agreed to. Now that I think about it, why the hell did I offer in the first place? It wasn't that she was heavy, 'cause she wasn't. Two days ago I wouldn't have offered this much. I would have let her swim in shallower waters by herself. Yet, here I am, giving her a ride so she'll have an enjoyable experience. This girl was growing on me. Honestly, I didn't think she would. She's so different from me. In most, if not all, ways. How exactly do two different types of people get along?

Thanks to all my muscle it was easy for me to glide with Eva. She practically weighed nothing to me and was easy to take anywhere. Not to mention she didn't hold an overly-strong grip on my neck. Being choked is far from fun. Resting her head on my shoulder I could feel Eva's warm breaths and the occasional shiver. Leah and I forget constantly that humans can't adapt to the environment as well as shape-shifters can.

As inappropriate as it was I couldn't help but feel a little turned on by the girl on my back. With barely anything on her body and her little movements now and then caused the usually loose swim trunks on me to become tight. Thankfully, thanks to the cold water, the tightness didn't last long. "Get ready." I said to Eva suddenly. Barely giving her any time to prepare I went underwater. While under, Eva let go of me and started swimming on her own. I noted that her movements weren't as graceful as someone who completely knew how to swim. She couldn't stay under long either.

To be a little playful I stayed under and waited a few seconds before lightly tugging on one of her ankle's. Quickly she resorted to swinging her foot in the direction of my face. Letting out a chuckle I came up to face her. Her face was contorted into a scowl, but underneath that I saw a sliver of amusement.

"Jackass."

I laughed and swam back under. This time she followed and tried going for my leg. But, I was faster. Once again thanks to my being a shape-shifter. She flipped me off before heading back to shallower grounds. I followed suit. Leah was waiting on the sand for us. I hadn't really noticed how far we'd gone out until I had to swim back. Eva got out before me, as I was taking my time, and I was reminded of the scars she had. Some were straight lines while others looked jagged. Like they had been _dragged_ through her body. The thought of someone hurting her like that made me furious. Luckily I was able to calm myself down without anyone noticing my shaking.

After dropping Leah off I started taking Eva to my place. As soon as we passed Sam's house Eva began her questioning. "Hey, where are we going?"

"My house."

"No. Take me back."

"Make me." I wasn't planning on doing anything sexual with her. I just wanted to spend some alone time with her.

"I'll jump out of a moving truck if you don't take me back." Okay, I'll admit I should've taken her more seriously than I did. I thought she was bluffing. That's what a lot girls have done in the past with me. Pretended to be upset or even drunk just to get what they wanted. Eva meant business. Promptly after her swearing she opened the door and I immediately slammed on the brakes. "Are you crazy?" I yelled. "Do you have some kind of death wish?"

"I told you to take me back. You obviously underestimated the lengths I would go to achieve what I want." I swear she sounded a little smug about the whole thing. While I, on the other hand, was keeping myself from having a heart attack.

"Look," I began, trying to calm both of us down. "I just thought we could spend a little more time getting to know each other. I want to be your friend." I hadn't planned on saying that last part. It just came out. Much like my words were earlier at the beach. I did want to be friends with her, though. Since she was my imprint I kind of needed to be.

"Well, what if I don't want to be your friend?" Stubbornness was another trait I could add to her.

"Give it a chance. We'll head to my house and it'll be just you and me. We can find out a little more about each other. We don't have to give our whole life story or anything. All we can do is chill." To my surprise she was actually considering it. It's better than a flat out no.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"No. That's why I said 'fine.' Dumbass." Fucking Leah and that nickname. Now Eva was going to start calling me that too. Perfect. Just what I wanted and needed. She shut the door and I started back towards my house once more. Thankfully there were no more incidences thrown my way.

At my place Eva didn't want to touch anything. She didn't sit down and didn't poke a finger out at any piece of furniture. She wasn't nervous but she was feeling something. I couldn't tell what it was. Agitation? Whatever it was I hope it went away. This was my chance to find out more. Not everything, I didn't expect that of her. I wasn't going to give away everything either.

My past probably wasn't anything compared to what she had to go through. Simply, neither of my parents ever really wanted me. A lot of the time they forget to consider me with things. For example, instead of spending money on food for me they would spend it on beer or gambling. My mom left first. Not long after my dad did. This wasn't too long ago. In fact, my father leaving was what caused me to phase. I found a note taped to the door and I felt myself vibrating with antagonism. At least they had paid everything off so no one would come after me. Me being harassed or harmed wasn't their concern. They were concerned that if someone found me living alone they would get in trouble. But I never mattered.

Finally, I got Eva to sit down while I grabbed us two bottles of water. Eva, unlike before, had made herself nice and comfy on my couch. Her legs were stretched out and her head was resting on a cushion.

"So, what was it like living in a group home?" I'll say it before anyone else can. I really am a fucking moron. Seriously, what is with all these dumbass questions popping up in my head? In all honesty I'm waiting for her to bitch-slap me. Looking at me dead-on she said nothing for a few moments. Just looked me in the eye with undecipherable emotions.

"What do you think it was like?" Getting a snarky comment was better than getting beaten up verbally. And physically, possibly. "I'm being serious. I want to know what you think it was like before I tell you." She said after I neglected to answer her question.

"Oh, um, well-"

"Get on with it already." Her impatience returns.

"I think it sucked. Living with a bunch of other people and having to follow a bunch of stupid rules-"

She interrupted again. "Who ever said I followed the rules?" True.

"It just seems bad. I wouldn't want to live in a place like that. Ever. I'd rather take my chances living on the streets."

"That's how I felt. So that's what I did. For a little while, at least, before I was found and taken to a group home."

"I never saw that in your file." I said confused. And shocked. She wasn't very old now, how old had she been when she was sleeping on a sidewalk?

"My file," She began, looking me right in the eyes. I knew whatever she was going to say was going to be important or at least stand out. "doesn't hold half of what I've seen and done. It doesn't hold even a quarter of my life."**  
**


	7. Chapter Seven

**AN: Sorry for the slow update. With school starting and me taking more advanced classes than I did last year I won't be able to update as much. I'll try to update once a week, but I can't promise anything. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven:  
****A Mistake  
****Eva Harwood**

Paul actually seemed shocked by my words. As if they would keep every bit of information on me in one place. I waited for Paul to close his mouth so I would feel like I was talking to someone with an IQ above fifty. It was almost comical to see a boy three times my size gawk like a child at me. Though Paul was anything but a child.

Today, for me, was odd to say the least. I was fine with going out with Leah, but then Paul tagged along. I almost stayed back and went to my room when I found out. I should have too.

Since Paul had been finding out much more about me and asking personal questions I figured I should do the same in return. "Why do you live alone?" Maybe I should've asked a different question first before going straight to that. Then again, he's taken my file and read up about my history. He's had this coming for days.

Paul's jaw was clenched and he had yet to say anything or make a move to. This was better than having his jaw to the floor. "They left." There's more to the story than that. I could tell by his tone. But, that'll do for now. The more he peered into my life the more I peered into his. That's how it worked. I also had to look through Sam and Emily's stuff when they were both out of the house. Surely there had to be something that I could hold against them. Everyone has secrets.

"Left you with all the bills?" I asked next. He was surprised by that. He expected pity. The usual response someone gave to his situation. I never handed out pity like everyone else did. Most people hear a sob story and go with 'I'm sorry.' Expecting that that will suffice for everything. As if that would help or do anything for them. It means nothing to me. I don't like pity and I certainly don't give it to anyone else. Something I had learned over the years was that everyone has a past. Something that happened to them. Everyone has secrets. Something that they want no one to know about. Whether it's something petty like 'my mom and I had a disagreement' or something as serious as sexual assault, _everyone has something._ I'd learned that I wasn't the only one who got dealt a shitty hand in life. It would be useless to feel pity for everyone. We'd be wasting our time.

"No, they had the decency to pay everything off. So no one would come after them. Nice, isn't it?"

"At least you don't have to pay for anything. You get to be by yourself as much as you want. Yet you hang around with all the other guys and Leah. Why would waste something as precious as alone time?" Yeah, I was letting my opinions and beliefs seep into the conversation, but I couldn't help it. To me, alone time is golden time.

"Eva, not everyone likes alone time. Sometimes I do. But not all the time. Not like this. I actually enjoy being around people and hearing what they have to say."

Attitude was coming from him. I know I gave out plenty of attitude, but that did not mean I would take it back as if it was nothing. "Really? You're giving me attitude? I didn't want to be here in the first place. If you're going to be a little bitch about this whole thing then I'll let myself out." That escalated quickly.

"Look," He sighed. Frustrated with himself. "It's a sensitive subject, alright? I think you of all people can understand that." Strangely, I didn't get mad at him for saying that. He already knew some details about me that I hadn't shared with many others, but that didn't give him the right to tell me what I did or did not understand, say, or do. What was different was that I saw where he was coming from. Everyone knows how reserved I am. Everyone has seen how hostile I can become. And it seems that everyone knows that Paul doesn't talk about his parents. It's a rule of thumb for the group. One that I had yet to learn. Despite what most thought I actually knew that it was wrong of me to get mad at people for mentioning or bringing up something I don't discuss. Yet, I would snap at them even though they didn't know any better. That was a childish trait that would be good to get rid of. Did that mean I was actually going to do that? _Hell no_.

"Alright. I won't bring it up." Visible relief was written on his face and he looked away before turning back to me. "Want to watch a movie?"

"You drag my ass all the way over here to watch a freaking movie?" The serenity sure didn't last very long. If it was ever there. Paul didn't seem to care about my outburst. He was getting used to them. "Yeah, I was thinking action. Something with a lot of explosions or violence. Is there anything specific you want to see?"

Shaking my head I lied completely down on the couch and stared at the ceiling until Paul loaded a movie and then sat down. While the previews were going Paul went to his kitchen to grab some snacks. He came back with sodas and popcorn a few minutes later. I saw now that the movie was something named _Kill Bill_. "Have you seen this before?" He asked before he started the movie. I shook my head and he said, "You'll like it. I'm sure you will." As long as it has blood or gore I'll like it. I've never been one for the comedy genre. It's not terrible, but I've never been used to laughing a lot in my life. My full reasoning is kind of stupid to most people, probably. Though I've never actually told people this. I don't go to comedies because I figure they're a waste of time. For an hour and a half you sit down and laugh the whole time. Then, after it's done, you can remember the jokes all you want but it'll never be the same. And, right after the flick is done you go back to you're normal life. Not everyone has that life where you can go home and share all these funny jokes with your family. Some of us don't have families at all. I just . . . I can't find humor in my life. Sure, there's sarcasm, but that's a whole different thing. There's nothing funny about me or my life. There's not a lot to look forward too. I faced that and got over it a long time ago. Besides, even if I hadn't gotten over it and shared this with someone what good would that do me? Either they wouldn't care or they'd pity me. And I _loathe_ pity.

Paul was correct about me liking the movie. When the ending came I almost gasped, but managed to hold it in. Paul was watching me, waiting for a reaction of some sort. All I did was ask if he had part two. He said he did and continued to sit there. "What are you waiting for, Dumbass? Put it on!" Laughter came out for a few seconds before he got up and loaded the second one in.

Part two was just as good as part one. Until the movie was over I hadn't realized how long they were. I had already been at Paul's for more than four hours. Way more time then I ever intended spending. "You wanna watch more movies?"

"No. I should be getting back. I have things to do." Actually, I had nothing at all to do. Except find something to entertain me for a few more hours.

"Like what? Stare at a wall all day?" I know he was joking and didn't mean to give off malice, but my attitude had no problem sparking to life.

"Talk to anyone but you." The joking demeanor slipped from his face and I knew he was restraining himself from snapping at me. Hell, if I was him I'd want to snap at me too. Despite how I acted I knew exactly how irritating, unnerving, and harsh I could be. It was a wonder why _anyone_ wanted to adopt me. Let alone voluntarily be my friend.

"I am that bad to be around? After all of this? Can you really not stand me unless I'm not talking? I'm that horrible?"

Getting up I took my time stretching, knowing it was pissing him off more. But he needed to get the point. I don't open up and befriend anyone because they're nice to me. Plenty of people were nice to me at one point. They are all the same though. In the end they all turn on you. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm this way with everyone. Besides, no one asked you to bring me here. No one is making you try to be my friend. This isn't kindergarden where all the moms want you to get along with one another and practice that kind and shit. This is real life. And real life is blunt, harsh, and unforgiving."

"Like you? Right?" For a moment he looked sorry to say those words, and then that passed and he was back to anger. "Only you can do wrong? No one else can? You don't give anyone a chance because they aren't allowed to make mistakes. Only you can do whatever you want and treat people however you want. As badly as you want."

That was a low blow. That was also true. Not that I cared about the latter at the moment. "I have reasons for the things I do. Good reasons, actually. Not that it's any of you're damn business."

"Really? Good reasons? If they're so good then you wont mind telling me why you were arrested for assault not too long ago? Actually, wasn't that the reason why you were sent back to the orphanage and ended up here?" He had the nerve to sneer at me. As if I was wrong for doing what I did. From someone else's point of view I suppose I was. All the police report says is that I slammed a man's head into a brick wall. Nothing else. No reasons why. It labeled me as the antagonist. In actuality, my reasons for harming him were pretty damn good.

He had been a known pervert around the area I was stuck in around the time. Spokane, to be exact. I've made my way through most of Washington. One place in Oregon, but that's it. Anyways, he was known as the creepy middle-aged guy that liked to hit on teenager girls. Any girl, really. But mostly the young ones. Multiple females had complained to the cops (so I'd heard), but nothing had ever been done about that? Why? Because most of the cops around there happened to be male. It's not that they didn't care, because they did, but everything is in a different point of view for them. As long as the girls weren't being threatened or violated those men didn't see a problem. All that just served to further anger me. That cold afternoon I was walking down the street. I had no destination in mind. It was just leisure walking to get out of the apartment and clear my thoughts. I'd barely taken a few steps when he was suddenly right in front of me on the outer steps. Given my day was already going south from fighting with my current guardian at the time I had absolutely no patience for a fuck-up like this guy. "Get the hell away from me", I told him. That was the first and only warning I gave to him. So far I was doing good with not getting into trouble with the law. School was a different story, but I hadn't been scoped out by the cops in a good period of time. He ruined all that. This perv took it a step further than I expected him to. I'll admit that was a mistake on my part.

_Always expect the worst_, I told myself constantly and still do. I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist. I see things the way they really are. Call it what you want, but I know I'm a realist. With the type of life I've lead I've been given no other choice then to expect the bad things. That's called being real.

Greasy, hairy hands had made their way to my shoulders. I wasn't one of those girls to see if he took his hands off and act as if it never happened. Why should you forget what happened to you? It makes you who you are? No matter what you do to escape it it's always going to be there. So why not face it head on? Without another word one of my slender hands shot out and the left side of his face was on the wall in seconds. "If you ever touch me again" I spoke lowly in his ear, "I'll make sure you're never able to touch anyone, including yourself, again." His eyes had been drooping, but widened a little when I finished. Not long after he crumpled to the ground. Apparently, some witness had seen what was going on. He hadn't heard the conversation and presumed that I, without any good reason, assaulted the pig. That's the only reason why the police found out. Neither one of us had made moves to report it, and had given no hint that we would. But that man did and later that day I found myself sitting in a crowded room with people handcuffed to chairs and detectives in suits. I gave my account of what happened and explained that this guy had been reported before. I made it clear that I was pissed at them for not doing anything at all. At first they were on my side. They believed me and apologized for not acting sooner. Then, after hearing the swine's account they moved on to enter the report into the system. As soon as my name was placed a file came up about me. Holding the facts that proclaimed I was a "problem child" and had been here for other things. Because of my record and history the investigation became more difficult than it was supposed to be, they said. A sign that things weren't going to go my way was the use of the word investigation. It was a simple report before, and now it was an investigation. Obviously, I did not prevail in the end. Pervert got out and I suffered the punishment.

Thinking of this brought up a quote I once read in tenth grade. It was from Thomas More's _Utopia_.

_"For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them." _

Basically, it's saying that people who grow up on the streets or have to live some life similar to that (really it's any life that's more difficult than it should be) are punished for who they are. People like me aren't given the chance to go to top-ranked schools and get the latest trends and best products in general. Some of us have to grow up by being part-time thieves. We can't always have pockets full of cash twenty-four seven. And we need food and water to survive. I'll admit that I've stolen plenty of times. Because I needed water or food so I wouldn't become sick with dehydration or hunger pains. I don't feel sorry about that. Stealing is better than getting sick. Anyways, people who are raised to be thieves or have to perform acts against the law because that's all they can do, all they are allowed or able to do, are punished by everyone else around them. I'm not saying that everyone who is a criminal deserves to be treated with respect because of their background. Plenty don't. Plenty of them are living, breathing monsters. What I'm trying to say, is that society raises people like me to be like this and then punishes us for it when we were given no other options in life. We don't have choices. We're like this because this is the only hand we get dealt in life. It's not right. Not at all.

"You can act like you know everything about me. Even though all you've read is a few pages in a file. That's fine. But don't you _dare_ act like you know about my lifestyle. You don't know anything about the others like me. The one's who've truly had it rough. You may not have had the most perfect life. But you have your own roof over your head, food on the table, and all debt paid off. Some people can't afford to eat everyday because they have to pay for another bill instead. Why don't you be a little more grateful for that."

"I-"

"I am not finished." I said sternly. "How dare you bring me into your house against my wishes and then lecture me about what's right and wrong. You think you know me? You know nothing. And if you think I'll overlook this fight you're wrong. Hanging out with you was something new I was trying. And, of course, it all backfired. This was nothing but a stupid mistake that won't happen again. Don't act like you can get away with anything around me, because you can't. I have absolutely no problem cutting people out of my life. I'd tell you to ask my parents all about that. But they're dead."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight:  
Feelings  
Paul Lahote**

A week had passed since the argument between Eva and I. Her last words hadn't left my mind and had been driving me crazy. It wasn't what she said that shocked me. It was _how_ she said it. Like she didn't care at all that her parents were no longer in this world. Almost as if she was glad about that. Before she had said that she'd cut them out of her life. A part of me couldn't help but wonder if she meant the 'cut' part literally.

I didn't want to feel like this. I felt like shit because I said the wrong things to her and she stormed off. Of course I followed, but she couldn't tell I was there. The whole time I wished I could've taken the conversation on a different path. But, another part of me, was glad that this happened. I _needed_ to know more about her. It wasn't just me trying to be nosy anymore. It shocked me to the core when I realized something.

In a short amount of time that girl had found a way to get under my skin. Not in the way that makes you want to punch someone. But in the way that makes you want to be around them every possible moment. Part of it was the imprint. It was a natural feeling to want to be around her more than I would want to be near any other person. The other feelings I felt weren't natural though. She had become something more to me. I couldn't put a finger on what it was about her either.

Normally I'd stop myself from thinking too much about her. It only made everything worse. This time, though, was one of the few times I allowed it. Her hair was straight, but it was soft. It framed her angular face when left it down. Surprisingly, most of her baby fat was already gone. It usually took humans until they were an adult to completely loose all of it. I noticed now that she still had some, but not very much. As usual, she was different. The colors in her hair didn't bother me as much as they used to. I would much rather see her natural brown hair by itself. Her brown eyes didn't hold any amount of warmth in them, yet I couldn't help but feel comforted when I saw them. Even if she was as mad as hell. She was average height and had a decent body. Skinny, but not anorexic. She didn't have curves though. Or much of a rack. But I'll get over that.

Sam told me yesterday that she's spent most of the week holed-up in her room. I thought she usually did that no matter what. Then he told me that she hasn't even tried to sneak out. Which is odd. Since she's made it unbelievably clear that she wants to be far away from this little town. Leah's been visiting, though. Keeping her company and whatnot. When I thought we were finished with the conversation he asked when I would go see her. I didn't think that was such a great idea considering how things turned out last time. But Sam said that regardless of how pissed we were at each other the imprint bond would calm us down a little and help us get through it. I didn't believe that anything could calm Eva down. She was like a whole new subspecies of human. Immune to caring.

_But if she didn't care, then why did she bother saying all that to me?_

That's it. I need to see her. I'm driving myself fucking insane. My legs moved on their own accord. In less than a minute I had shifted without even bothering to take my clothes off. Thankfully I was already outside when I shifted so I didn't ruin any furniture. Hopefully there was still a pair of shorts near Sam's house. There was, thankfully, so I didn't have to worry about making a short run back home.

Without knocking I made my way inside the house. Sam and Emily were used to that. Although anyone who entered without knocking always had to make sure they weren't interrupting anything. We may have seen each other naked, but that does not mean we want to walk in on each other in the middle of having sex with someone. The nice thing about Eva being here is that if Sam and Emily want to do something they have to do it in their own room. Not wherever they want. Unfortunately, I am speaking from personal experience. That's something I don't ever want a repeat of.

Leah was there, as usual. She had walked out of Eva's room when she heard me just outside the door. The perks of being a werewolf, you could hear more than anyone else. It was hard to be surprised by anyone's appearance anymore. I was about to speak up when Leah's hand suddenly shot out and smacked me upside the head. "What the hell was that for?" I growled out. With our short tempers, us wolves did not take kindly to someone messing with us like that. Or pissing us off in any way.

"You truly are a dumbass." So, I take it Leah is fully aware of what happened between Eva and I. I wonder if Eva told Leah all the things she told me. It'd make sense. Those two were getting closer than ever. "She's obviously in her room. Go and talk to her before I change my mind. I'm going to go for a run while you two are talking. I'll be gone a while so you'll have plenty of time. You better have a damn good apology Lahote."

"Why are you acting like everything is my fault? She said some things too."

Leah pinched the bridge of her nose. She looked like she wanted to hit me again. "She wasn't saying any of those things to try and ward you off. She was speaking her mind. You, on the other hand, being a rude jackass. So, yeah, I'm not acting like this is you fault. It _is_ your fault." She walked out the front door and I heard her shift a few moments later.

Eva had to know by now that I was in the house. I'm sure she was listening to everything. In her room, Eva was sitting criss-cross near the window. When she knew I was near she stiffened. Not out of fear or nervousness. It was out of anger. Clearly, she was already prepared and probably still preparing to yell and lecture me some more.

"Can we talk?" I shut her door, not giving her much of an option. With that she still didn't say anything, but continued staring out the window as if all the answers to life were hidden there. Or she was staring because she was holding herself back from looking and screaming at me. The latter sounds more likely.

"Well, I'll do the talking. You can do the listening." She scoffed, not being fond of either idea. "I know I was being shitty and all, but this is ridiculous. I'm trying to apologize for my actions and you're not even giving me the chance to." My temper flared out of nowhere. I thought I had had a good hold on it, but I was wrong. It's hard not to with her. It's hard not to feel something with her in general. Whenever I'm near her I feel like whatever emotions are running through me are amplified. . . Great, now I sound like a girl.

"Why should I?"When someone is angry, especially someone like Eva, you expect them to yell at you. You expect them to shout every swear word and give you every obscene gesture. She didn't. She just asked me those three words. And her voice was calm too. As if she was pointing out that the rain was starting up again.

"I know I've asked for a chance before. I know I've snapped at you and pissed you off, but I'm really trying not to. It's hard, okay? I don't know how to act around you." Due to her eerily calm mood I myself had calmed down a little too. Not completely, since that was almost impossible for me, but enough to the point where I was going to yell every word at her.

"You did more than just piss me off Paul." Like I mentioned before, her voice was calm, but it was hard. There was usually no softness with her. But this was taking it to a whole new level. It'l like she's detached her emotions from herself. Even that look she had. Although she was looking at the window and I didn't have a perfect view of her face I could tell her jaw was clenched. And, her eyes weren't betraying anything. It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul and all that crap. One look from her could prove that whole statement incorrect. Her eyes were like concrete walls. Solid, strong, and unrelenting. Now, she looked to me. Those brown eyes gazing right into my own. It was now that I saw how intimidating she could be if you cornered her. She could stand more than just her ground. And now, I also saw that she wasn't just pissed off. Pissed off would be the right words to describe the first night she snapped at Sam and Emily. This . . this was completely different. I couldn't describe it, but I knew that even if I was the same size and only human I would fear her. Without a doubt.

"Everyday is a struggle. Everyday I have to deal with someone and something that won't let me live my life in peace. Don't get that look on your face. The one that says your pitying me or feeling bad for me. Don't. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad about anyone. What I'm telling you is the truth. I know this comes off like I am, but I'm not trying to sound like I'm pitying myself either. I hate that. So don't think that's what I'm doing. You said you wanted to know more about me. Well, here you go." She paused to take in a big breath while I stood across from her, feeling like I could barely breath.

"I try and get through each day with as little interaction as I'm permitted. I go out of my way for that. Most people think that that's a sad thing and think that it's okay to have friends. I don't. Anytime I've had people in my life it's caused me nothing but trouble. Whether it's annoying women trying to act like they are the best foster mother in the world. Or whether it's perverted uncle's that touch me in place's I'm not supposed to be touched. It's all been said and done with me. Yet everyone expects me to move on with my life as if it's never happened. As if no wrong has ever been done to me. Whenever something's done to someone else it's okay to never forget and not move on. But with me, no it's different. I'm just the punk bitch that has to take crap from everyone." In the middle of all that she had stood up. And now, she was standing right in front of me. I couldn't even grasp onto one clear thought. It was all running through me again. By the look on her face I knew she wasn't done.

"But, whatever. I'm not going to cry over that everyday. It's pointless. What am I trying to make a point out of, though, is that I don't need you in my life. You act as if you not being my friend is the worst thing that can happen. Like I need you. You honestly think that I do? I don't. I don't need anyone. But, that doesn't stop you from thinking that I do. You think I don't know how you feel? It's hard not to see when you act like an open book. At the beach, you were curious about my scars. Not to mention aroused. You got this spark of lust in your eye. Why do you think I was messing with you? If you wanted to sleep with me all you had to do was say so. For a little while that's all I thought you wanted to do. Then you opened your mouth and I saw that you actually wanted to get to know me. Well, here's your shot. You got what you wanted. You wanted to see what the attitude girl was all about. There. You got it. Happy now? Don't answer. I don't give a damn about what you have to say." With that she walked back to the window, sat down with her back facing me, and stared out.

I probably should have walked out, but I didn't. I stayed in there, knowing she wanted me out. Everything was going through my head. And I was fighting the urge to run away. I wasn't scared or anything by what she said. Frankly I was furious. She'd been through so much. _So much_ that made her stop being normal. Stop being human. Some people act the way she does plainly because it's their personality. Not everyone like Eva has a sob story. A common stereotype we all have. But she does. She fits that stereotype. But it's better than the stereotype most people think she belongs to. The one where the punk girl does what she wants 'cause she doesn't care about authority. The punk girl that rebels because she has nothing better to do. Eva actually has a story and no one would listen to her because of her looks. That's something that happens quite to often, now that I think about it. When I first saw her I thought she was one of those rebellious kids that didn't give a damn about anything. That drank and smoked and did drugs and had sex because they were bored. But she's so incredibly different it's almost sad the way everyone thinks of her. She's smart, sarcastic, witty, and beautiful in a way that actually counts. You can't see the beauty when you first meet her. But when you realize it's there it's like you never want to look away. All you want to do is get to know her and make her feel better. Because when you find that beauty, you cannot only see that. With the beauty, comes the pain and anger. And because of a lot of other people's mistakes she has to pick up the pieces because no one will help her.

This girl found her way under my skin. She's embedded herself in me and I never want that to stop. I can't help but think of her now. She's my life. I may not be able to take all that pain and anger away. But the thing is . . . I don't want to. Yeah, I don't exactly want her suffering. But what she's been through makes her who she is. I don't want her to change. She doesn't need to. In a weird way she's perfect.

Again, like I've stated before, I would much rather have her without the piercings and hair dye and her attitude. But, love, yeah love, I don't care if it's too early to say it. I'm pretty sure that's what I'm feeling in my heart right now.

Love isn't about perfection. There are countless stories about one girl or guy finding the "perfect" person. That's not the real world. The real world isn't full of perfect people who will go through anything with you and say all the right things. Not every guy is going to be the one you read in books. The one that accepts everything about you and loves everything about you. LOVE IS NOT PERFECTION. Too many people have that crammed in their heads that they need to be perfect. I know that Eva and I aren't. We're the complete opposite. We can barely make it through the day without yelling something profane at each other.

But, the point of this whole thing is, I know Eva won't be accepting of me. With her past it's impossible to ask for her heart. Her whole heart. I'm not even sure it's still there. But whatever is left I'll only take a piece of it. If I loved her I wouldn't ask for every part of her. That's ridiculous. I'm lucky to have her in my life.

No matter what. Even if this ends badly and she doesn't want to be with me in the end. Which is something that can actually happen. I don't care. She's in my life. That's all I can really ask for. But it's worth a shot. I won't go out of my way to pursue her. That'll push her away. But I won't lose her to anyone. She won't end up a lonely person. With that, she needs to know the truth.

About the La Push legends. About Forks and its inhabitants. About me.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine:  
The Truth  
Eva Harwood**

I truly expected Paul to leave after I had admitted so much to him. Others would have left thinking of me as too much of a damaged person and too hard to be around. Yet, he stayed. A normal person would be happy about this. Happy about the fact that someone wants to be around them even though they are so screwed up. But, here I am, about to snap again because I can feel his gaze on my back. Then, and I know how weird this sounds, it's as if something changes within him. As if he's made up his mind about something and he feels more sure and confident than ever. I can't explain that. I just know.

When I turn around to look at him there's something more prominent in his gaze. Something I realize has been there all along, but I didn't care to notice it. Now that I do it's bothering me because I don't know what it means.

"Eva, let's go talk in the woods. I need to show you something."

His mood swings make me want to smack him upside the head. What nonsense is he talking about now? Like I'm actually going to follow him into the woods after all of this.

"Please. Just follow me and you'll know everything that's going on. I promise I'll tell you nothing but the truth." You better tell me the truth after all the shit I just told you about myself. I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to go with him. All because my curiosity is getting the best of me and I want to know what the hell is going on around this place.

"Fine." He looked shocked for a moment before he covered it up and started walking out the front door. Leah still hadn't come back yet from outside. I'd heard her open a door and leave, but I had no idea where she would go at this time.

Paul leads me into the woods. Deep in, but not totally deep to where I can't make sense of my direction. I made sure to memorize ways to and from this spot so I could leave when I wanted to. Paul walks over to a tree stump and motions for me to sit down on it. Long explanations aren't what I want to hear, but that's just my impatience getting ahead of me. After I sit down Paul stays standing and starts pacing in front of me. "I'm just trying to think of where to start."

I give one of my smart-ass responses back. "How about the beginning." By the look on his face I could tell he was refraining himself from retaliating. Pacing another minute I observed the area around me. The trees here were so unbelievably green it seemed like they came straight out of a crayola crayon box. "Alright," He finally said. "have you ever heard any of the Quileute legends?"

"No, I've been in the city all my life."

"Alright, well I'm going to give you a condensed version of a few. That sound okay?" As if I actually had a choice in the matter. "So, there's this legend about the cold ones. People with ridiculously pale skin who can run faster than the human eye can see. They're eyes are red like the blood they drink." I could tell Paul was telling it the way he was told. These aren't words Paul can just conjure up at any moment. "They're evil."

"What exactly are the 'cold ones?'" He wasn't explaining fast enough for my liking. Despite how ridiculous the story sounded it was actually interesting. The cold ones, for some reason, reminded me of vampires seen in movies or read about in books.

"Vampires." Should I laugh or let him continue? Vampires, really? How old does he think I am, five? "I know you don't believe me. But I don't want to show you that right now. Back to the story, there is this legend that talks about how Quileute tribe was once attacked by these cold ones. The only reason why they were able to defend themselves is because our tribe is descended from wolves."

"Wolves? Like, they can supposedly change into a wolf whenever they want?" Why am I getting into this? It's nonsense yet it's interesting that he's telling me this. Is he seriously trying to tell me he's a wolf?

"Exactly. But only a select few can do it. The wolves are the tribe's protection from the bloodsuckers. Vampires and wolves have been enemies for centuries."

"Paul," I stopped him before he could go any further. "are you actually trying to tell me that you can change into a furry animal whenever you want." So, maybe it's not the best idea to mock someone who might me mentally insane, but I couldn't help but voice that. If he seriously thinks he can get away with telling me all this and having no proof then he is really mistaken.

He gulped and looked a little surprise. Probably by the fact that I was asking this calmly and not freaking out like I should have been. "Yes, Eva, that's exactly what I'm saying. Me, Sam, and the others guys, including Leah, are wolves. And the only reason we can change is because there are vampires that have a home nearby. Not in La Push, we would never allow that, nor would the treaty, but they live in Forks. The Cullens. They supposedly aren't like other vampires. Their golden eyes can show that much. Though I still don't trust them, they're leeches. They say that they only hunt animals and drink their blood rather than human blood."

"You actually expect me to believe all this without showing me any proof whatsoever?"

"No, I knew you wouldn't believe me unless you saw for yourself." He takes a few large steps back from me and then starts taking off his clothes. "Woah there buddy, don't get ahead of yourself. If you're that frustrated we could have just done this back at your place." What's the dumbass doing now? Stripping in the middle of the woods isn't exactly what a normal person does. Or something any person does for that matter. The look on his face told me he wasn't ashamed about what he was doing.

I'm sure he assumed that by the time he was almost naked I would be looking away and blushing like most other girls would. It should be clear and firmly established by now that I'm not a normal teenage girl. When he got down to just his boxers he hesitated because I still hadn't looked away. One of his eyebrows went up a little. "Aw, is Pauly to afraid to be naked in front of a girl? It's okay, size doesn't always matter." My patronizing voice wasn't amusing to him and in a second he had his boxers off. I didn't look away, but I kept my eyes on his face. Making sure not to look down. I wasn't embarrassed from having a naked guy in front of me. I've had plenty of those already. But it would kind of make the lust easier to control. Can you blame me? As crazy and irritating as this guy is he's pretty damn hot. And if the opportunity showed itself I would probably sleep with him. Nothing more, though.

Before I could make another remark naked Paul was gone. In his place was a large silver wolf. That took all the words from my mouth. Paul shook a little as if to get used to the sudden change. His dark eyes looked down onto me and I realized how large he was. He had to be at least six feet tall. Too large for a wolf. It also hit me now that I'd seen him before. Pet him before.

"Oh. . . shit." Slowly he started coming closer to me. Taking his time so he wouldn't scare me away. I wasn't scared of him, which is weird considering he could kill me with one swipe of his paw, but I was more shocked than anything. I wasn't entirely sure how to react. However, my body legs and arms seemed to gain a mind of their own. Uncrossing my legs I got up and walked over to Paul. As I neared he bowed his head down, like he did before, and laid on the ground.

I gave his head a pat and sat down next to him. It seems kind of odd for me to pet him now that I know he's not just a wolf. "Why did you show me this?" Why did he? He had no reason to. If he wanted to he could have kept it a secret the whole time, but he told me. There has to be more to it than him just being a wolf. Maybe he just likes me and wants me to accept him the way he is. I would. Not for dating purposes but because I don't see anything wrong with him being a wolf. As long as he's not hurting innocent people. Paul whined a little and sat up. Then he changed back to his human form.

Quickly he put his clothes back on and sat next to me. When he sat a little too close I gave him a look and he scooted away just a tad. Though he was still very close and didn't care to move. "What's the purpose of all this?" I basically repeated my question from earlier.

"There's one other thing I have to tell you about."

"I knew that genius." It's nice to know that my sarcasm will never go away no matter what situation. Paul glared slightly before continuing on. "See, wolves have this thing called imprinting. It's similar to the whole soul mate thing. With us though, it's instantaneous. As soon as we lay eyes on her it because our duty to protect her. We'll do what we can for her. Imprinting is supposed to be a rare thing, but so far it's proved to be the opposite. As far as we know the only one that can't imprint is Leah. Because there is a huge possibility that she is the first female shifter. There are no records of any others. We also know she can't have kids. That's also why she's-"

"Why are you talking to me about Leah? This is about you. And I'm guessing you've already imprinted?" The answer is obvious.

"Yeah."

"On me." I don't need to ask that. I already know. At least this explains all of his behavior. He nodded his head and looked around at everything else but me.

I guess it all took a moment to really hit me. The whole imprinting thing anyway. I realized that the only reason Paul wants to get to know me is because he has to. If it weren't for this imprinting crap he would have never spoken to me. And everything would have gone much more smoothly. He doesn't actually care about me because he wants to. He's forced to care about me. Clearly, my hands were once again taking a mind of their own because my hand had suddenly shot out and given Paul a major bitch slap. Though I can't exactly say he didn't deserve it.

Unfortunately for me it didn't look like he was in any pain, only shock. And now my hand hurt. "Werewolves are stronger and faster than humans. You might want to think twice before hitting me." Without looking at his face I could tell that he was smirking. Stupid bastard was enjoying my pain when he was supposed to be reveling in his own. "What was that for, anyway?"

"For everything. The only reason you want to know so much about me is because you have to. You don't actually want to. It's not like it hurt my feelings or anything. I doubt I have any other feelings except anger and bitterness, but that doesn't make it better. If I'm going to tell someone something very personal then, for their sake, they better make sure they actually care enough to know about it. If they're just doing it out of curiosity, similarly to you, then they get a bitch slap. Sometimes even a punch depending on how much they found out. Consider yourself lucky." As I got up I wiped the back of my jeans to get any dirt or material from the woods off of it. "And don't bother trying to find out more. There's no point. You should just go out and find some other chick to bother." With that I began my walk back to my . . . home. Ugh, I can't get used to that word when I'm talking about a foster home.

"You think I don't care about you?" Paul grabbed my arm and jerked me back so I was facing him. I could see the restrained anger in his eyes. I wonder why he wasn't letting his out when I was letting mine out. "You're wrong. Since you're my imprint I have to be in your life. It's against nature not to be. But that doesn't mean I have to know every little thing about you. My only job is to protect you. And whatever else I do that goes above and beyond that is what I _want_ to do. Not what I _have_ to do. Get that in your head."

What further heightened my anger was the fact that he was still holding onto me. In general I'm not a touchy-feely person. Most of the time I can manage with some contact. But when I'm pissed and someone touches me it never ends well. "Why should I? What good is that going to do me? Is it supposed to make me feel better that someone actually wants to be my friend? Oh, good for think I actually care whether or not you or anybody else likes me? No, I don't. People always assume that because you don't have friends then you must be lonely. I like not having real friends. I love being alone. I don't have to deal with inane drama and things that don't matter. It's better for me. So, why don't you get it in your head that _I don't need you_. Now get your hands off me."

Paul made a point to remove them slowly. Not helping the situation one bit. It goes without saying that he wasn't happy with my little speech there. But that still didn't deter him. "Whether you like it or not you're stuck with me. I'm not leaving Eva. For once can you accept the fact that someone isn't going to let you go? That someone actually wants to be around you. Which is a pretty damn hard thing to do with your attitude. But don't think for one second that that will stop me. I don't care what you do. I'm not going anywhere. Nothing you can do can hurt me enough to push me away."

Really? There's nothing I can do? Wrong thing to say. A spurt of success and cockiness shot through me when my leg shot out and got him right in the crotch. Sending him down to his knees with his hands over his groin. The groan of pain he let out gave me the smirk I plastered onto my face as I walked away. It doesn't matter how tough or burly a guy is, they all have one weak spot below the waist.

Thankfully, Paul didn't follow me after I walked away. The lesson probably hadn't gotten through to him because of his thick skull, but no worries for me, there would be plenty more where that came from. Leah was sitting in front of my door when I got back. "Nice job kicking Paul where it counts." She laughed, probably not for the first time either.

"You saw that?"

"Yeah, I was in the woods when you guys were. I'm surprised you didn't kick Paul right away when he grabbed you. For a crazy moment I actually thought he was going to kiss you. Knowing you you'd find a way out of it."

I don't know if I consider Leah a friend yet. She's great and all, and she total gets where I'm coming from. But it's just weird how she wants to be around me. The major thing we really connect on is our feelings. More specifically, our rage. We've both been screwed over and the world seems to not give a damn about us. We can't help that we were dealt this hand in life. It's not right, but complaining about it all don't won't help a thing. That's mostly what makes us get along. I guess I do consider Leah a friend. The first real friend that I could actually talk to every day in a long time. If there ever was a time, now that I think about it. I have my internet friends. But that's exactly what they are. Internet friends. No matter how much you meet with them you'll always be better with them when you're typing instead of talking. It's weird, but that's how it works.

The only down side to this is that I'll actually have to get used to staying in this place. Sure it had it's ups, the rain, Leah, and privacy. There were more downs than ups though, Sam, Emily, Paul, the small town, Paul, another new high school with few people, and oh, that's right, Paul.

Two more school years of hell, coming right up.


End file.
